Mayo Hospital controversy deepens: Health minister, secretary knew about medicines issue before CM’s visit

LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’ recent scheduled visit to Mayo Hospital and her ‘controversial’ remarks to Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Faisal Masood over the complaints of the patients of medicines shortage generated a new controversy when it transpired that the MS had already tendered his resignation following Rs3.5bn pending liabilities of the institute while the health minister and secretary allegedly knew about the issue very well.

The medical community also strongly reacted and called the CM’s action a blow to the sanctity of the medical profession. Calling the incident unfortunate, the community said it blatantly exposed the incompetence of the Punjab health minister and secretary who misguided the government and the public about the financial crisis the Mayo Hospital was facing for the last two years.

According to some reports, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique had paid nearly five visits to the hospital during the last few months and in each visit, the institute’s management had alerted him about the severe shortage of the funds and the patients’ complaints.

During the same period, Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood reportedly also accompanied the health minister twice and the matter of shortage of funds was put up before them, showing concerns of the MS that the vendors had stopped supplying medicines over pending dues worth billions and the situation was getting worse with every passing month.

MS had resigned a month ago after both high-ups had ignored his requests in multiple visits to hospital

An official, privy to the development, said the Mayo Hospital management had urged them hard to get the funds released. On finding them unmoved despite repeated requests, he said, MS Prof Faisal Masood tendered his resignation on Feb 2, ‘citing some personal reasons behind this step’.

“Respectfully submitted that due to personal reasons, I am unable to continue with the additional charge of Chief Operating Officer/Medical Superintendent of Mayo Hospital Lahore. Therefore, I may kindly be relieved from the said charge with immediate effect,” reads the Feb 12 resignation letter of Prof Faisal Masood.

Talking about the willful malafide attention of the secretary, the official said, health secretary Azmat Mahmood had written a letter of displeasure to Prof Masood a day before the scheduled visit of the CM despite knowing the facts that he had already resigned from his post four weeks back.

The official claimed that the purpose of generating the letter was just to divert the attention of the CM Punjab and shift the entire burden of his department’s negligence on the hospital management as Mr Azmat was aware of the CM’s scheduled visit to the hospital the next day.

“I am directed to express deep dissatisfaction of the competent authority regarding inefficient protocols being followed in the emergency department at Mayo Hospital Lahore,” reads the letter of displeasure issued on March 5 by the health department. It stated that it was extremely concerning to witness the consistent unavailability of essential medicines which severely hampered the ability to provide timely and effective care to critical patients.

The official said a narrative was building fast that the above-mentioned two letters were narrating the true picture to fix responsibility on the health secretary and the health minister who were aware of the hospital’s actual situation.

Following the CM’s visit to the hospital, the medical community reacted to it strongly and declared the arrest threats to senior medical teachers “the last nail in the coffin of the dying health sector”.

An office-bearer of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Dr Malik Shahid Shaukat said the incident was a nightmare for the doctor community and a scar on governance model operative in the health sector.

“The insult of the medical teachers and silence of the other senior professorial galaxy in front of the CM Punjab showed the health profession has reached its worst,” Prof Shaukat observed.

The action was beyond expectations as the government had released just Rs20m only against Rs3.5bn pending liability of Mayo Hospital.

Dr Shaukat said the two health departments had reached the verge of collapse due to appointment of blue-eyed officials on key posts and the worst kind of privatisation in the health sector.

YCA: The Young Consultants Association (YCA) of Pakistan has condemned the humiliation of the medical superintendent (MS) of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, by the Punjab chief minister.

Alleging that the shortage of medicines was due to non-provision of funds by the Punjab government to the hospital, the association has claimed that the incident would become a reason for further brain drain.

The statement issued by YCA Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan and President Dr Hamid Mukhtar Butt claimed that the removal of Prof Faisal Masood was not only unjust but also a grave affront to a medical professional.

“Prof Faisal Masood, a distinguished academician and dedicated orthopaedic surgeon, leads the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at King Edward Medical University with remarkable distinction. His invaluable contributions to the education of orthopaedic surgeons and his unwavering dedication to patient care have earned him immense respect and admiration across the medical fraternity,” it stated.

Dr Asfandyar Khan, an associate professor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), while talking to Dawn said that it was unfortunate that the CM Punjab misbehaved with a health professional for her own failure. He said the Punjab government had not addressed the issue of shortage of medicines and other facilities.

“Prof. Faisal Masood could have given the reply to the CM but he just showed respect for a lady and for his own professional integrity,” he said.

He warned that the incident might trigger further brain drain from Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025