KP chief minister orders action against LRH officials over patient care concerns

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has ordered the immediate removal of the director of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and the suspension of the head of its paediatrics emergency department, citing poor performance and serious deficiencies in patient care at the province’s largest public-sector hospital.

The directive followed a surprise visit by the chief minister to the hospital’s paediatric emergency department late on December 16, after a video circulated on social media allegedly showing a delay in medical treatment for a newborn baby. According to an official letter issued by the provincial health department to the LRH Board of Governors (BoG), the chief minister found the situation “more pathetic” than what had been reported online.

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During his visit, the chief minister inspected facilities, met patients and attendants, and assessed the overall quality of healthcare services. The letter stated that feedback from patients’ families reinforced concerns about inadequate patient management, staff responsiveness, cleanliness and adherence to standard operating procedures.

The chief minister noted that LRH, a 1,800-bed tertiary care hospital, receives an annual budget of around Rs8 billion from the provincial exchequer and is therefore expected to provide prompt and effective medical care, particularly in emergency cases and for vulnerable patients such as newborns. He described any lapse in this regard as unacceptable and said the hospital’s administrative performance had fallen well below expected standards.

According to the letter, the chief minister expressed serious dissatisfaction with the hospital’s administrative setup, stating that poor management adversely affects patient safety, undermines public confidence and damages the institution’s reputation. He directed the immediate termination of the hospital director, citing unsatisfactory performance, and ordered the suspension of the head of the paediatrics emergency department pending an inquiry. The BoG was asked to submit a compliance report on the directives by Wednesday.

However, LRH Board of Governors Chairman Prof Nausherwan Barki told Dawn that a “proper inquiry” would be conducted before any final decision was taken regarding disciplinary action against the two officials. He said the hospital is governed under the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Reforms Act, 2015, which grants administrative authority to the BoG rather than the health department.

Later, LRH spokesman Mohammad Asim confirmed that an inquiry committee had been constituted and would submit its findings within three days. He said that appropriate action would be taken against any individuals found negligent in their duties.

Lady Reading Hospital has been operating as an autonomous MTI since 2015, with its board comprising members largely drawn from the private sector. The incident has renewed debate over accountability and governance within the province’s MTI-run public hospitals.