PESHAWAR: The Hayatabad Medical Complex has run out of medicines as the vendors have stopped medical supplies due to the failure of the director (finance) to release funds, to the suffering of patients.

In a letter, HMC hospital director Gulzar Ahmad Khan wrote to Dean and CEO of the hospital and Khyber Girls Medical College that director (finance) Ikramullah Jan had blocked the payments of vendors and thus disrupted the supply of medicine and surgical essential supplies, which was endangering the lives of patients and “damaging and blocking” the hospital operations.

In the letter titled “Blocking the patient care services of the hospital by the finance director through delaying payments”, the HD said that it had been noticed with extreme concern that the DF had lost complete interest in service and was blocking the patient care by not releasing the payment of vendors, especially to the suppliers of medicines.

“As ex-director (supply chain) Ishaq Khattak has already been terminated due to delay in finalising the tenders, therefore the hospital is dependent on the old suppliers whose payments are being blocked by the DF even after the completion of all codal formalities,” he noted.

The HD said he had suspended the DF due to those reasons and because he didn’t attend office regularly and thereby, compromising and blocking the patient care services and endangering the lives of critically-ill patients.

He, however, said the BoG restored him to his position by cancelling the suspension letter.

“I request you [dean] to please look into the situation seriously in the best interest of patients and ensure smooth functioning of the hospital. I also suggest that an emergency Institutional Management Committee Meeting may be called to discuss this situation,” he said.

On August 21, the HD suspended the DF, currently under probation accusing him of being a habitual latecomer, lack of professional discipline and bypassing of the prescribed organisational channels and supervisory authority by directly submitting reports to secretary of the board of governors (BoG) without routing them through proper institutional hierarchy.

The BoG declared the suspension order for DF to have been issued without lawful authority and without observance of due process. It ordered DF to resume charge immediately.

The row between HD and the BoG began two months ago when the former sent letters to MTI Policy Board and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa anti-corruption establishment (ACE) asking them to hold inquiries into alleged illegal appointments.

The HD had alleged that he was forced by the BoG to resign for objecting to alleged illegal appointments and interference in administrative affairs.

The HD was suspended by the board on July 21, 2026, over controversy surrounding appointments.

The Peshawar High Court set aside the HD’s suspension on August 5.

Meanwhile, the inquiry by the ACE is continuing, with the HMC providing all appointment records, said officials.

They said that BoG had done all appointments in line with the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015. However, the tussles continue with no end in sight as both HD and BoG stick to their stances.

When contacted, spokesman for HMC Waseem Khattak refused to comment on the issue.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2026