03/01/2026
*PESHAWAR: Paediatricians with super specialties have been leaving the province or working in private hospitals allegedly owing to unwillingness of seniors to hire them in public sector hospitals, a charge vehemently denied by the latter*
Latest in the series of brain drain of paediatricians is Dr Mohammad Ali Gandapur, a gastroenterologist who joined Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), Lahore, after failed attempts to find a job in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr Mohammad Ali, who has to his credit two fellowships from UK and two from College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), appeared thrice in interview for the post of assistant professor in Lady Reading Hospital, twice in Hayatabad Medical Complex but he was declared overqualified.
All the medical teaching institutions are not advertising the posts of paediatrics super specialties and Ayub Medical College Abbottabad even didn’t short list him for the interview. Ultimately, he got a consultant job in PKLI. The list is too long as many of his colleagues from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with qualification in various paediatric sub-specialties have left the province.
*Senior medics say they don’t have powers to appoint them in MTI system*
To name a few, those who left the province, include paediatric neurologist Dr Waseemur Rehman, paediatric oncologists Dr Ishfaq Marwat and Dr Shafiq, paediatric nephrologists Dr Kalim Marwat and Dr Atif Anjum Khattak, neonatologists Dr Sajjadur Rehman and Dr Afshan Khattak, gastroenterologist Dr Husna, cardiologists Dr Abdus Salam Wazir and Dr Farmanullah, ICU specialists Dr Tariq Jamil, Dr. Iffat and Dr Nazia, neurosurgeon Dr Akthar Munir and plastic surgeon Dr Waseem Hamayun.
Dr Athar and Dr Farhan Ali, paediatric neurologists, have been working in private hospitals in Peshawar. The latter also appeared for interviews in Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC). There is no neurologist in public sector hospital. The third neurologist, Dr Waseemur Rehman, joined an Islamabad-based international hospital.
The only paediatric endocrinologist Dr Amir Naseem is also joining a private hospital in Peshawar after being rejected by LRH.
Sources say that senior paediatricians feel insecure in presence of super specialists and therefore they don’t help them in their appointments in public sector hospitals.
Dr Sajjadur Rehman was the first neonatologist in KP and his unit was about to get recognised for second fellowship in neonatology by CPSP in 2000 but he left the country. He is now director of neonatology unit in a big hospital of Saudi Arabia and comes to Punjab and Karachi for workshops. Same was the case of Dr Afshan Khattak, a US-qualified neonatologist who also left the country.
A few years ago, she joined LRH as associate professor but due to MTI system and lack of cooperation from general paediatricians she went back to the USA. There is only one neonatology ward recognised for CPSP training in Gajju Khan Medical College Swabi in the province.
Dr Shahzad Rauf, having completed FCPS training, is working as medical officer in Chitral. Dr Akhtar Munir, with FCPS and MS qualification in paediatric neurosurgeon, works as medical officer in Buner.
Paediatric surgery is the first specialty in paediatric and so far at least four doctors including Dr Farooq Abdullah, Dr Ubaidullah, Dr Salahuddin and Dr Khawar Saeed have joined jobs abroad.
There is no senior paediatric surgeon in LRH and no ward in HMC. There are two paediatric urologists in public hospitals, one each in Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD) and another in Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), while Dr Farman Khattak and Dr Ghafar Shah work privately.
Paediatric cardiac surgery is rare specialty and the only surgeon Dr Tariq Suhail Babar has left LRH for a private hospital. Another paediatric cardiac surgeon Dr Mubashir also moved to Canada recently from Peshawar Institute of Cardiology.
Now the only paediatric cardiac surgeon in PIC is Dr Majeed. Another rare specialty is intensivists and the first in that specialty had gone to Karachi and was now imparting training to others there.
According to sources, there are many others including paediatric oncologists, who have left the province. In Lahore children hospital, half of the beds are occupied by patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Senior paediatrician in LRH Prof Mohammad Hussain, who is vice president of Pakistan Paediatric Association, termed the allegations unfortunate. “It is indeed unfortunate that some young doctors with FCPS paediatrics and sub-specialty training perceive senior paediatricians as obstacles in their career progression in MTIs. This perception is not only misplaced but also unfair,” he said.
He said that senior paediatricians did not hold any authority or role in creation of posts for paediatric sub-specialties, nor did they have the mandate to establish sub-specialty units in district or tertiary care hospitals as creating positions, allocating budgets, or forming new departments fell entirely under the purview of government.
Prof Sabir Khan of KTH told Dawn they were very keen to develop sub-specialties. “On regular basis I am demanding for advertisement of sub-specialty posts including paediatric neurology and cardiology despite having no authority as I am not chairman of the department,” he said.
He said that with efforts of members of paediatric faculty, CPSP developed new sub-specialty of paediatric pulmonology recently.
Published in Dawn
