Islamabad: The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) board has been left virtually dismantled after its chairman Dr Muhammad Riaz Shahbaz Janjua and four other members resigned amid growing scrutiny of the regulator following the PIMS nursery fire that killed 14 newborns, senior health ministry officials confirmed on Monday.
The four members who resigned in addition to the chairman have now been identified as Dr Mati-ur-Rehman, Col (retd) Dr Arif, Asma Khalil and Kashif Zahoor, officials said. Asma Khalil is a nurse associated with the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), while Dr Mati-ur-Rehman is a pulmonologist currently associated with the Health Services Academy.
“The board is almost gone,” a senior health ministry official said, confirming that four members, besides the chairman, had tendered their resignations.
The federal cabinet has already formally approved Dr Janjua’s resignation from both the office of chairman and membership of the IHRA board.
According to a Cabinet Division decision dated August 31, the cabinet considered a summary submitted by the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division on August 30 regarding Dr Janjua’s resignation and approved the proposal contained in paragraph six of the summary.
The decision was taken through circulation under Rules 17(1)(b) and 19(1) of the Rules of Business, 1973.
In a separate memorandum marked “Secret/Immediate”, the Cabinet Division directed the federal health ministry to immediately initiate necessary action to implement the cabinet decision and furnish an implementation report to the Cabinet Division within seven days.
Health ministry officials said Dr Janjua was reportedly asked to step down following concerns at the highest level, including the Prime Minister’s Office, over a potential conflict of interest arising from his association with private healthcare and medical education institutions while heading the statutory authority responsible for regulating healthcare establishments in Islamabad.
Officials said questions had been raised over whether a person having interests or associations in the private healthcare sector should head the authority responsible for regulating healthcare establishments in the federal capital. The cabinet decision approving Dr Janjua’s resignation, however, does not record any finding of wrongdoing against him.
The controversy intensified following the August 26 fire in the neonatal nursery of PIMS, in which 14 newborns died, triggering scrutiny of hospital safety, regulatory oversight and enforcement of minimum healthcare and safety standards across Islamabad.
Officials said Dr Mati-ur-Rehman, Col (retd) Dr Arif, Asma Khalil and Kashif Zahoor had now also tendered their resignations from the IHRA board. The resignations were submitted to Federal Health Secretary Capt (retd) Muhammad Mahmood, they added.
The departure of the chairman and four members has effectively stripped the IHRA board of most of its existing membership and is expected to pave the way for its reconstitution.
The resignations also come against the backdrop of growing differences between IHRA and the federal health ministry. The IHRA board recently sought an administrative review of former chief executive Dr Muhammad Zaeem Zia, currently serving as acting Director General Health, while the health ministry approached the Auditor-General of Pakistan seeking performance and financial audits of the regulator.
Senior health ministry officials said further changes could follow, with the remaining members of the board also expected to resign in the coming days.
The government is subsequently expected to move towards reconstituting the IHRA board as questions over healthcare regulation, institutional governance and accountability in the federal capital intensify in the aftermath of the PIMS nursery tragedy.