Dr Faisal Sultan replaces Zafar Mirza as health minister

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday appointed CEO of Shaukat Khanum Hospital Dr Faisal Sultan as his special assistant on health, reported Geo News.

According to a spokesperson, Dr Faisal will have the status of a federal minister in his new position.

Earlier, Dr Faisal was serving as prime minister's lead and the focal person on COVID-19.

The post fell vacant after Dr Zafar Mirza resigned from the responsibility, last month.

Dr Mirza had said he had resigned "due to the ongoing negative discussion about the role of special assistants and criticism on the government.

However, a report claimed that Dr Mirza was removed over his role in illegally importing drugs from India despite a ban. He, alongside another adviser, were named during an inquiry carried out on the prime minister's orders.

PM Imran wanted to end the power of pharmaceutical companies to independently raise prices, the documents indicated, adding that the SAPM had failed to appoint heads of hospitals and medical institutions in Islamabad.

Dr Mirza had also withdrawn a summary curtailing the powers of pharmaceutical companies; however, it was submitted again on the premier's orders. The special assistant had opposed the summary in a Cabinet meeting earlier.

PM Imran, however, had approved a summary pertaining to the pharmaceutical companies in the Cabinet, the sources added citing the documents. He had also wanted to remove Dr Mirza after the drug scandal but did not do so due to the coronavirus pandemic.