The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore has strongly condemned the alleged humiliation of Mayo Hospital’s Medical Superintendent (MS) during Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent visit.
In an emergency meeting held on Friday, PMA office bearers denounced the Chief Minister’s decision to remove the MS from his position and criticized her "insulting attitude" towards the hospital administration.
The officials expressed deep concern over what they termed as the CM’s "disrespectful" behavior towards doctors.
They asserted that hospitals are being evaluated through the lens of an "incompetent bureaucracy" rather than considering the needs of patients and medical professionals.
Highlighting the financial crisis plaguing Mayo Hospital, the PMA revealed that the institution is burdened with Rs 3.2 billion in unpaid dues to pharmaceutical companies due to the non-release of funds by bureaucratic authorities.
Despite this pressing issue, the hospital was granted a mere Rs 20 million, an amount deemed insufficient to address its financial woes.
The association also criticized the provincial administration’s approach to healthcare planning, stating that projects launched hastily without assessing ground realities lead to financial wastage.
They further accused the bureaucracy of favoritism, citing the appointment of close relatives to key positions and the "worst kind of privatization" as reasons for the healthcare sector's deterioration.
The PMA warned that the recent threats of arrest against senior medical professionals are a dire escalation, describing them as the "final nail in the coffin" of an already struggling health sector.
They emphasized that an elected leader should not mistreat government employees in such a manner.
Challenging the Punjab CM’s authority to remove the MS, the association stated that such decisions fall under the jurisdiction of the Health Department.
They reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of doctors and medical staff, vowing to take all necessary steps to uphold their professional integrity.