Shaukat Ali Jawaid
Appointment of Head of the Department in the medical institutions should be a tenure job for three years and after that some one else in the department should be named as Head of the department. If in a teaching institution there are five or six department of medicine or surgery, each one of the unit head should be selected for this position on rotation basis irrespective of the seniority and rank. There is no harm even if as Assistant Professor or Associate Professor is appointed as head of the department. The present policy of naming the senior most professors as Head of the department has played havoc with the further growth and development of these institutions.
Once a senior professor is appointed as Head of the Department for indefinite period and he occupies that position till his/her transfer to another institution or retirement, they start behaving like a King makes it their own Kingdom. They seldom listen to others, what to talk of seniors and juniors, they behave like dictators. However, if he/she knows that after some time some one else is going to occupy this position and he or she will have to work under some one else may be even his/her junior, their attitude will be different and they will behave differently. They will be more receptive and prepared to listen to others.
Yet another advantage of this rotation policy will be that the incumbent will be under pressure to do something and show his/her performance. This will thus introduce a mechanism of self monitoring and accountability. Every one can have some new ideas and concepts which they will be able to introduce thus improving teaching, training and patient care which is the prime objective. This is being practiced not only in the developed world but in our neighboring country Islamic Republic of Iran where even an Assistant Prof. is appointed as Vice Chancellor. Even this concept is being practiced in Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi. Initially this concept will face lot of resistance from the vested interests but once it is fully implemented and functional, it will pay rich dividends. It is sincerely hoped that those at the helm of affairs will give this proposal a serious thought and initiate measures to get it implemented.
