Lady Reading Hospital. PHOTO: FILE
Dr Arshad Javed might have stepped in at a time when Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) needed him most, but the former chief executive of the hospital is facing allegations of violating the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ban on appointments under the interim government.
Around three years ago, LRH was looking for a chief executive as Dr Hameed Afridi had resigned and the state of the hospital was going from bad to worse. A few months after, the post was filled by Dr Arshad Javed in December of 2011.
At the time he was heading the hospital’s pulmonology department and had served as Chief Executive at Hayatabad Medical Centre.
Dr Javed served as the LRH chief executive till December 7, 2013 and sources claim during his tenure appointed his favourites at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s largest health facility, in violation of the ECP ban.
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, Dr Javed’s tenure at the hospital was marked by a large number of employee recruitments, promotions and new appointments allegedly made on the basis of favouritism.
The document shows that in May/June 2013, 24 junior clerks and technicians in Pathology and 18 others, including ward orderly, dialysis attendants, lab attendants and OT attendants were appointed. It further disclosed that 11 of the 18 appointed were from the same district as the former chief executive – Karak.
This, however, goes against what the ECP said on January 22, 2013. The order which is also available on the commission’s website refrained the interim government from making any recruitments as they may be considered as pre-poll rigging.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a senior doctor who did not wish to be named claimed that all appointments made during Dr Javed’s time at the hospital were based on nepotism. The doctor said that while he completed his specialisation in 2009 and had qualified for the position of senior registrar on December 25 last year, he did not get selected as Dr Javed appointed his own men. The doctor is challenging these appointments at Peshawar High Court.
Another doctor who works at LRH blamed the former chief executive for ignoring senior doctors and appointing junior doctors at key positions. The LRH doctor claims that when the government asked Javed to present a list of employees appointed during the interim government, the former chief executive only gave names of doctors and people who worked at the hospital on the basis of merit.
His side of the bed
When contacted, the former chief executive of LRH said the allegations were false and a certain group of people were plotting against him.
He said that he had not just appointed 18 Class-IV employees, but 110 during the two years – which had not been done in 20 years. Out of these, only 11 were from Karak. Dr Javed justified his decision by claiming that the education ratio in Karak was higher as compared to other districts in the province. He said that he had given priority to those people whose fathers had died or retired from LRH. He rejected claims of having made appointments during the interim government.
About the promotions and appointment of teaching cadre doctors, he said that as the chief executive, he had the authority to appoint officers from grade 1 to 10 and not above.
The former chief executive is known for improving the emergency standard of the hospital and being prepared for blasts and other major events in the city. He is considered the founder of Pulmonology Department in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and also of the Pakistan Chest Society. He is also credited with establishing the TB Control Programme in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2014.
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