-Shaukat Khanum CEO appinted as Health adviser
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Dr Faisal Sultan, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, as his special assistant on national health services, regulations and coordination, a statement issued by his office said on Monday.
Dr Sultan, who also serves as the prime minister’s focal person on Covid-19, will replace Dr Zafar Mirza, who had resigned last week. According to the statement, he will hold the status of a federal minister.
A consultant physician on medicine and infectious diseases, Dr Sultan completed his graduation from Lahore’s King Edward Medical College University (KEMU) in 1987. He also holds the postgraduate degrees of Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine (1992) and Diplomate American Board of Infectious Disease (1994).
Responding to his successor’s appointment, Dr Mirza said: “I am very pleased about the appointment of Dr Faisal Sultan as SAPM health. As [a] federal minister he will be able to make decisions which [are] important.” He termed Dr Sultan “a capable professional with a good worldview” and a good friend, wishing him success in his new role.
Agencies add: Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Dr Faisal Sultan as his special assistant on national health services, regulations and coordination, a statement issued by the premier’s office said on Monday. Dr Sultan, who according to the brief statement will hold the status of a federal minister, will replace Dr Zafar Mirza, who resigned as special assistant to the prime minister on health last week.
Dr Sultan also serves as the prime minister’s focal person on Covid-19. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division said the prime minister “has been pleased to appoint Dr Faisal Sultan as Special Assistant to the Pime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination with the status of federal minister, with immediate effect”. The new SAPM is the chief executive officer of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH&RC), the charity hospital founded by Prime Minister Imran.
A consultant physician on medicine and infectious diseases, Dr Sultan completed his graduation from the King Edward Medical College University, Lahore, in 1987, according to the SKMCH&RC website. He also holds the postgraduate degrees of Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine (1992) and Diplomate American Board of Infectious Disease (1994). Last Wednesday, Zafar Mirza had taken to Twitter to announce his resignation as the SAPM on health, saying he had made the decision over the “negative discussion about the role of SAPMs and criticism of the government”.
