Poor management, ad hocism question future of KEMU

LAHORE -King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Lahore, one of the biggest and oldest medical institutes of the country is fast losing its sheen due to poor working conditions and ad hocism pressing the flight of talent from the premier institute, putting a question mark on the future of the oldest institute.

Just imagine, all the top three administrative posts, VC, Controller and Register are being manned by the doctors who been given additional charge, indicating not only ad hocism on the basis of which the institute being run, but also utter neglect on the part of all stakeholder, including the Punjab Health Department. Being working in additional capacity, these officials enjoy little administrative powers to redress the complaints of doctors, students and patients.

Years long 'battle' between the hospital and university heads, vying to achieve supremacy against each other, took its toll. It not only created mess in the hospital and university, but also dismayed the medical community. Most talented doctors are not ready to join KEMU.

Some departments of the university are functioning properly while most of the departments are poorly administered and still others are being run without their heads.

Believe it or not as many as seven posts of professors of different departments are lying vacant and patients and students are suffering.

According to detail, the post of Prof of Nephrology is lying vacant for the last 10 years. Anaesthesia department is functioning without professor. The post of Professor of Cardiology is lying vacant after the transfer and posting of Prof Dr Bilal Zakaria from KEMU/Mayo Hospital to Punjab Institute of Cardiology some months back.

After retirement of Prof Dr Guzanfar Sheikh, the post of professor of paediatric in the institute is also lying vacant.

Similarly, Plastic Surgery department's professor Dr Hakeem Babar retired three years ago. But the post has not been filled. North Medical Ward is without its head while in the Radiology department, the post of professor has not  filled for the last three years.