LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has complained of “undue media trial” of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over the sacking of the Mayo Hospital medical superintendent, saying that any negligence by the administration at health facilities will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

On the other hand, incarcerated former health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said the chief minister’s derogatory attitude and public humiliation of senior medical teachers should be condemned at all forums.

During a visit to the hospital on Thursday last, Ms Nawaz had ordered the removal of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Asghar Nauman and Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Faisal Masood on complaints of some patients regarding the non-availability of medicines, besides poor treatment and sanitation conditions at the major healthcare facility.

A video showing the chief minister snubbing Prof Masood went viral, drawing criticism for her “public humiliation” of a senior doctor, with some suggesting she should empower and task the health ministers with improving service delivery at public hospitals in the province instead of indulging in “political stunts.”

Yasmin slams ‘humiliation’

It has transpired that the MS had already tendered his resignation following Rs3.5bn pending liabilities of the institute, while Health Minister Khwaja Salman Rafique and the secretary allegedly knew about the issue very well.

Ms Bokhari told a presser on Monday that Ms Nawaz was the first CM to personally oversee public healthcare issues.

“Shortage of essential medicines in hospitals is unacceptable, and their administrations must ensure the effective use of government funds for public welfare. Hardworking and honest doctors are our pride, but negligence will not be tolerated,” she said, adding that accountability was not limited to the CM alone but extended to all responsible officials. She said the sacking of Mayo Hospital’s MS and the CEO was subjected to undue media trial.

“The CM questioned the MS regarding why patients were forced to purchase medicines from outside despite the Mayo Hospital having a budget of Rs1.3bn. Additionally, Rs150 million has been allocated for health insurance, yet patients continue to face difficulties, which reflects sheer negligence. The unavailability of essential medicines in hospitals is unacceptable,” the minister explained.

Ms Bokhari said the Punjab government had increased the health budget by 500 per cent, and primary health centres had been made functional to ensure better medical services for the public.

Expressing concern over doctors’ protests and strikes, she said such actions created hardships for the public and were unacceptable.

In an open letter from Kot Lakhpat Jail on Monday, Dr Yasmin Rashid stated that the Form-47 chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, had earlier penalised Nishtar Medical University, Multan, Vice-Chancellor Prof Mehnaz Khakwani for mismanagement of the hospital when, as a VC, she had no responsibility in managing the hospital. Now, she said, Ms Nawaz had humiliated Prof Masood for the non-availability of essential medicines and called for his termination.

The former health minister of PTI said the medicines were not available because the government had not paid the bills of Rs3.8 billion, which the professor had highlighted a number of times to the health department secretary and the minister.

Prof Masood had also informed the secretary and the minister that the vendors were refusing to supply medicine to the hospital because of the outstanding bills. He had sent in his resignation from his post on Feb 12.

Addressing the chief minister, Dr Rashid stated, “Madam, you are not being properly briefed by your bureaucrats and letting you keep on making blunders in the health department.”

Ms Rashid stated that there was a non-availability of medicines in all the teaching hospitals of Punjab due to non-payment of bills, especially in Lahore, while the chief minister was going around publishing a 60-page supplement of her government’s achievements.

“Madam, if you had not dropped out of medical college and had completed your studies, you would have known the hard work a student puts in to become a doctor, then a specialist and finally a teacher,” said Dr Rashid, who herself is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology.

A student needed to score more than 90 per cent marks in FSc and entrance exams, she added.

“Everyone does not have a father who can bag them a seat in Army Medical College and then, as a prime minister, have you migrated to King Edward Medical College, which has the highest merit,” she chided the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025