PMA Lahore Raises Alarm Over Dismissal of Medical College Principals, Hospital Heads

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore chapter has expressed serious concern over the dismissal of principals of several medical colleges and medical superintendents of government hospitals in Punjab, calling the move unjustified and based on flawed assessments.
PMA Lahore President Professor Shahid Malik said it was “incomprehensible” to hold hospital administrations and doctors responsible for what he described as the poor and failed performance of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT).
In a statement, Professor Malik criticised the composition of the monitoring teams, noting that individuals with no medical background — including non-doctors and graduates from general universities — were being tasked with evaluating government hospitals.
“These teams lack even a basic understanding of hospital management, medicine procurement, availability of essential drugs and local purchase mechanisms,” he said.
He warned that principals and medical superintendents were being removed from their posts on the basis of what he termed “incorrect, superficial and unprofessional reports” prepared by inexperienced teams. He added that hospital administrations were even being blamed for issues beyond their control, such as the presence of stray dogs on hospital premises.
As an example, Professor Malik cited the recent dismissal of the principal of Gujranwala Medical College by the Punjab Health Department.
Clarifying the matter, he said the issue of stray dogs was not confined to any single hospital and could not be attributed to hospital management or doctors. “This is a district-level administrative issue, the responsibility of which lies with the Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, not with medical professionals,” he said.
The PMA Lahore president urged the Punjab Chief Minister to take immediate action against inspection teams that, he alleged, were holding doctors accountable for broader administrative failures through inaccurate reporting.
He also called for the introduction of a transparent, fair and fact-based monitoring system in government hospitals, to be carried out by experienced, relevant and professional personnel.