A division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) headed by Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan Tuesday suspended notification of the special Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding abolishment of the post of Director Accident and Emergency Department at Lady Reading Hospital and removing its Director from the post.

Other member of the bench was Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth. The bench suspended the Secretary’s other notifications about stopping free treatment including medicines and blood to the patients in the department.

The Chief Justice also took cognizance of the matter and issued show-cause notice to the special Secretary Health, Noorul Eman asking him to explain before the court within 15 days that under what authority and rules he was holding the post. 

The bench also asked him to explain that under what authority he abolished the post and issued other notifications.

The bench issued these directives on a writ petition of Dr Sheraz Qayyum, Director Accident and Emergency Department of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. The petitioner claimed that special Secretary Health through various notifications had not only abolished the post of Director, but also stopped provision of free treatment to patients in the Accident and Emergency department of LRH.

Counsel for petitioner Sayed Rehman advocate, contended that under the law the special Secretary Health was not the authorized person to abolish the post and stopped free treatment to patients in the emergency department of the hospital.

He also submitted before the bench that some 20 days ago the court had directed the health department to release funds for the provision of free treatment in emergency department, but the official concerned instead of releasing funds has abolished the post of the Director and stopped free treatment in the hospital.