Another Skilled Doctor Quits KP Govt Hospital

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s public healthcare system has suffered another major setback after the province’s only government-employed interventional radiologist resigned from Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), reportedly over unfavorable policies and a lack of financial incentives.

According to reports, Dr. Wasif stepped down from his position at HMC after raising concerns about working conditions under the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) framework. He was also reportedly denied a share in Institutional Based Practice (IBP) revenue, despite the incentive being part of the policy framework.

With his resignation, there is now reportedly no interventional radiologist serving at any government hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While private hospitals such as Rehman Medical Institute (RMI) and Kuwait Teaching Hospital continue to offer these services, many low-income patients cannot afford treatment there.

Interventional radiologists perform minimally invasive, image-guided procedures that often eliminate the need for major surgery. Their work includes organ biopsies, drainage of internal abscesses and fluids, kidney drainage procedures, artery stenting, and emergency treatment for internal bleeding.

Senior doctors have expressed concern over the growing departure of highly specialized medical professionals from government hospitals. They claim the MTI system has failed to retain skilled doctors due to inadequate incentives, inconsistent policies, and poor working conditions.

Lady Reading Hospital has reportedly lost several foreign-trained doctors in recent years because of funding shortages, limited facilities, and administrative issues.

Doctors have further pointed to significant salary disparities across MTI hospitals. While hospital managers reportedly receive salaries exceeding Rs. 800,000 per month, highly specialized consultants earn considerably less and are excluded from several income streams, including Self-Support Programs, Health Card revenue, and Institutional Based Practice earnings.

They also alleged that hospitals now deduct 40% from surgeons’ fees while requiring consultants to work within the institution instead of maintaining private practices, without providing adequate incentives.

The staffing crisis extends beyond radiology. Last month, 19 doctors specializing in kidney transplantation, nephrology, and andrology were transferred back to the Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), resulting in consultant shortages that have reportedly delayed surgeries and affected patient care.

According to sources, two senior renal transplant surgeons who helped perform Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first deceased-donor kidney transplant have also been asked to choose between urology and transplant surgery despite the absence of a clear policy on salaries, workload, or incentives. Senior doctors warned that such decisions could further weaken the province’s transplant program.