MMC BoG decides to advertise all vacant positions

PESHAWAR: The newly-appointed members of the Board of Governors (BoG) of Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) have decided to advertise all vacant positions, including executive positions, in the hospital and its affiliated medical and dental colleges, including Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) and Bacha Khan Dental College (BKDC).

The maiden meeting of the board was chaired by Prof Dr Arshad Javaid. Prof Arshad Javaid is a former Vice-Chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU), Chief Executive of Hayatabad Medical Complex, and ex-Dean of the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. He has made significant contributions to health reforms, particularly through the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act 2015, which introduced changes in the 10 tertiary care hospitals of the province.

The faculty members and staff of MMC and its affiliated institutions have welcomed the new board and appreciated the decisions taken in the first meeting.

“After our detailed discussions, the board members unanimously approved advertising all the vacant positions in the institutions and selecting the best available professionals purely on merit. Our aim is to make MMC one of the best healthcare facilities in the province for the people of Mardan and its catchment areas,” Prof Arshad Javaid pledged.

Some positions in the MMC have been occupied by the same individuals since 2015, and none of the previous BoGs dared to advertise them for reasons best known to them. The board members in the past were said to have had a weak role in important decisions related to the institutions.

According to insiders, a majority of the positions have been vacant for quite a long time, raising concerns that the college could be de-recognized if the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) visits.

Other board members, including Najeebur Rahman Khan, Arif Aslam Kundi, Misal Khan, and S.A. Shakeel attended the meeting. Dean of BKMC Prof Dr Amjad Ali, Hospital Director Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Medical Director Prof Dr Imad Hameed, and other officials were also present at the introductory meeting.

Prof Dr Arshad Javaid appreciated the services offered to patients in the hospital. He acknowledged the staff deficiency and emphasised that advertising the vacant positions would help MMC attract the best professionals and enhance the hospital’s capacity to serve a greater number of patients, meeting the expectations of the people.

Dean Dr Amjad Ali delivered a detailed presentation, shedding light on the health facility’s evolution, including MMC, Bacha Khan Medical College, Bacha Khan Dental College, Benazir Children Hospital, College of Nursing, and College of Medical Technology. He informed the board members about the completed and ongoing uplift projects, including the Accident and Emergency extension, Eye and ENT operation theatres, and the construction of a store.

Dr Amjad said that work on establishing a Cath Lab was almost complete. He added that all the equipment for the Cath Lab has already been installed and the facility will be operational shortly.

MMC has an overcrowded cardiology department, but all the successive BoGs since 2015 could not establish the Cath Lab. The Cath Lab has been a longstanding demand of the people of Mardan, as there is currently no Cath Lab in the entire Mardan Division, neither in the public nor private sector. Patients requiring procedures such as angiography or angioplasty are referred to private hospitals in Peshawar.

The Cath Lab is being established under a Public-Private Partnership, and the private party has provided the necessary equipment for the project.Prof Arshad Javaid stated that since emergency care is considered the face of a health facility, they would prioritize improving emergency services so patients can receive better care without needing to be taken to Peshawar or elsewhere.