PESHAWAR: The government has asked all the 11 medical teaching institutions of the province to fully implement Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015 to improve patients’ care and academic processes.

The medical institutions were asked to enforce the law in true sense by Prof Nausherwan Burki and Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra in a meeting of MTIs’ Policy Board held recently at Lady Reading Hospital.

The meeting was attended by chairpersons of all 11 MTIs. They were asked to strengthen all aspects of patients’ care and academic functions in the light of the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act (MTIRA), 2015.

“We have discussed all issues with BoGs of all the MTIs. Patients’ care is top priority along with improvement on academic side in the institutions,” Prof Burki, the chairman of Policy Board, told Dawn.

Meeting discusses issues faced by BoGs of hospitals

He said that they wanted to strengthen the institution-based practice (IBP) and ensure that all the consultants recruited under the MTIRA 2015, continued their private practice inside the hospitals in the evening.

“We will deal with those, who are involved in malpractices in IBP. Tautism will not be allowed at any continue cost,” he responded when asked about complaints regarding role middlemen in IBP in some of the MTIs.

He said that BoGs had informed him and health minister about their issues and they asked for strict enforcement of law.

“With the launch of Sehat Sahulat Programme, private practice has become a gray area. I think with passing of time the situation will improve. But I do think private practice in the old mould will change and occupy a much smaller part of healthcare,” he said.

Prof Burki said that they had asked the four new BoGs, including that of Bannu, Nowshera, Swabi and Dera Ismail Khan hospitals, to make recruitments on key positions including dean and medical, hospital, finance and nursing directors first.

He said that many MTIs were facing problems because consultants weren’t doing IBP in violation of the law. He added that the MTIs were getting all the consultants back to start IBP.

Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), which directed the MTIs consultants to close private clinics a month ago, got the services of its 100 per cent consultants.

The dean of Khyber Medical College and KTH, Prof Mahmud Aurangzeb, told Dawn that all doctors started working at the hospital in the evening instead of running their private clinics.

“All the people, including close relatives, friends and important personalities get equal treatment in IBP which is a welcome and enlightening process for others,” he said.

Prof Aurangzeb said that all the specialist doctors remained present from morning to evening at the hospital to serve the people with all facilities available under one roof.

Last week, health minister appreciated the presence of 100 per cent doctors in IBP that would enable patients to get better and quality services, he added.

Prof Shehzad Akbar Khan, medical director of Hayatabad Medical Complex, said that all the consultants, who had been asked to join IBP, were in compliance with the timeline given to them.

“We are taking into consideration the space limitation on account of Covid-19 and dengue and as such the timelines have been appropriately phased,” he said.

The chairperson of BoG of an MTI told Dawn that they held a meeting with chairman of Policy Board and health minister recently wherein the former gave a comprehensive overview regarding the implementation of health reforms in true sense.

“The most important aspect of the Act is the autonomy given to the hospitals so that they can overcome all the shortcomings related to human resources, equipment and other important things directly and indirectly related to patients’ care,” he said.

He said that the Policy Board encouraged MTIs to reach out to it in case of any issue, he said. He added that the minister told the meeting that with the enforcement of MTIRA 2015, all hospitals could meet their needs without any pressure to benefit the patients.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2021