PESHAWAR: Another committee has been constituted to fix responsibility for the incident in Khyber Teaching Hospital which led to the death of six patients owing to lack of oxygen on December 6.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, who has earlier sought report on December 11, has now permitted the Board of Governors (BoG) of KTH to take more time but come up with concrete findings and fix responsibility and terminate the people responsible for the incident instead of taking light action.

“We have been given permission by the chief minister to spend more time but conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. We have formed a committee comprising three professors, who would compile a detailed report this week,” Prof Nadeem Khawar, the chairman of KTH BoG, told Dawn.

A fact-finding committee constituted to probe the deaths, has recommended suspension of hospital director (HD) along with six others besides blaming the vendor for not supplying oxygen in a timely manner.

CM seeks concrete probe findings, strict action against people responsible for incident

Sources said that the suspension of HD, Dr Tahir Nadeem Khan, a former director-general health services, was being thoroughly examined by the new committee.

He had assumed the charge in July this year while issue of oxygen dated back to 2017.

Since the establishment of KTH in late 70s, till the arrival of HD, the hospital had the oxygen capacity of 5000-litre in Central Liquid Oxygen Tank, the hospital’s own oxygen cylinders were 150 while loaned from Pakistan Oxygen were 50, making its total 200 in 40 years.

The HD had doubled the central tank capacity to 10,000 litres and increased the hospital-owned cylinders by about 67 per cent through adding 100 filled cylinders from the office of director general health services, sources said.

“The HD has also moved a case for BoG’s approval to install central oxygen supply, which was ultimately discussed in a meeting held on December 9,” they said.

According to the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973, the chief secretary is authorised to order inquiry against a BPS-20 officer.

Sources said that the first preliminary inquiry should take place under Rule 10 for fact findings against the accused persons that should be followed by another inquiry under Rules 11 to fix responsibility in the light of recommendation of the fact-finding report.

They said that in case of retaining the charges against HD, he might petition the court and challenge the way the whole probe was conducted.

They said that the inquiries by BoG were illegal as chief secretary was the only authorised officer to order inquiry against in-service BPS-20 officer. They added that nobody asked the HD about the incidence so far about what had happened.

A member of KTH BoG told Dawn that they implemented the recommendations of the preliminary committee and were waiting for the outcome of a thorough probe ordered by the chief minister.

“A full report regarding the incident will be presented to the chief minister later this week and he will take action. There are chances that the responsible people may face termination from services,” he said.

The BoG member said that as per legality of the probe was concerned KTH was an autonomous institution run by BoG and could hold such inquiries.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2020