PESHAWAR: Prof. Junaid Sarfraz has resigned as Dean of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar and his resignation has also been accepted by the Board of Governors of LRH with effect from July 5th 2024 it is learnt.
Prof. Junaid Sarfraz
In his resignation letter Prof.Junaid Sarfraz has stated that “I express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire Board of Governors for their trust and confidence in me to have appointed me as the Dean of this wonderful institution that is the Lady Reading Hospital-MTI. Over the last 19 months I have tried my level best to serve this institution to the best of my abilities. I regret to inform the Board that I have tried my level best to correct the many wrongs in the institution or if that was not possible by myself to inform my superiors, hoping that through their intervention issues related to hospital services that were directly affecting the safety of patients, faculty, staff and trainees alike would be addressed, but to no avail. This I believed was my job being part of the team responsible and accountable.
However, I received little or no support from the previous Board and mostly faced humiliation for whistleblowing or trying to make positive changes, from the Offices of HD and MD, with the support of the Ex-Chairperson BoG. My conscience does not permit me to continue to be part of a team through whose incompetence and apathy as well as corrupt practices, innocent lives are put at harm on a daily basis. A fact that can be corroborated with evidence gathered from various sources by the Board, if and when it so desires.
I am glad that the setup that was the architect of health reforms through the MTI ACT is back, one that I am most in favour of and believe is a measure that will transform healthcare delivery, provided this ‘software’ is fitted into the right ‘hardware’. I wish the Board, its team, the employees of LRH and the patients that visit, all the very best in the future.
Faculty members of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar organized a befitting farewell reception in honour of Prof. Junaid Sarfraz who resigned recently. During his tenure as Dean LRH, the institution had become a hub of academic activities aimed at patient safety and professional capacity building of the healthcare professionals serving at LRH. He served with sincerity, devotion and dedication hence he was rewarded with this remarkable heartfelt gesture.
I just feel that I cannot continue to support a team of HD and MD that I have little trust in and even less respect for. Neither, am I any longer willing to be party to a management that is responsible for harming patients, when they could so easily do the exact opposite. Please accept my three months’ notice effective 11th of July 2024.”
Given, that now, there will be a new Dean in the Office by 12th October, may I request that my earlier prayer for change of Associate Deans (Research & UG) may kindly not be considered. The new Dean may kindly be allowed to choose his/her own team on arrival.
It was my dream to serve you Sir, and it has been my life’s privilege and honour to Have done so. Being the Dean of LRH is a matter of huge prestige and honour for me, and this was not an easy decision Sir, but my efforts to improve the system seem to me to be an exercise in futility and if the Board is satisfied with how things are, its best for myself to find other means to serve the ideology of MTI and your vision and that of our leader, because I am not satisfied with how things are here. I will always be available to you for any assistance I could be to you in the future. My very best wishes as always, Sir.”
