Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to Mayo Hospital on March 9, 2025, spiraled into a firestorm after she spoke sharply to Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Faisal Masood about patient medicine shortages and suspended him.
The Mayo Hospital Controversy erupted when it emerged Masood had resigned on February 2 over Rs3.5 billion in unpaid dues ignored by Punjab’s health brass despite repeated pleas. Medics now decry the CM’s stance as a slap to their profession amid a crumbling health system.
Last month, Prof. Faisal Masood, a distinguished orthopedic surgeon and Medical Superintendent (MS) of Mayo Hospital, tendered his resignation, citing challenges related to hospital funding and the inability to provide essential services to patients. Today, in a shocking turn of… pic.twitter.com/Z32mveuab1
— DNA 🧬 (@dna804) March 7, 2025Masood quit citing “personal reasons” after vendors halted supplies over the hospital’s debts, a crisis flagged to Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique (five visits) and Secretary Azmat Mahmood (two visits) in recent months. Yet, a day before Nawaz’ visit, Mahmood issued a “displeasure” letter blaming Masood for emergency care lapses, an apparent deflection, insiders say.
PIMA strongly condemns the humiliation and disrespectful behavior of CM Punjab @MaryamNSharif towards the Medical Superintendent of Mayo Hospital Prof. Dr. Faisal Masood.#PIMACondemns #HealthcareDignity#DoctorsDeserveRespect#StandWithDoctors pic.twitter.com/Y4NE4RfmWm
— Pakistan Islamic Medical Association – PIMA (@PIMAofficial) March 7, 2025Nawaz’s rebuke during the visit met with Masood’s silence, which drew ire. Just Rs20 million was released against Rs3.5 billion owed. The Mayo Hospital Controversy lays bare Punjab’s health woes.
The Pakistan Medical Association’s Dr Malik Shahid Shaukat called it “a nightmare” for doctors, slamming the “insult” to medics and governance failures.
Read: Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sacks Mayo Hospital MS Over Patient Complaints
The Young Consultants Association (YCA) condemned Nawaz’s “humiliation” of Masood, a top orthopedic surgeon, blaming fund shortages, not mismanagement. “This risks brain drain,” warned YCA’s Dr Asfandyar Khan, praising Masood’s restraint. Will the Mayo Hospital Controversy force accountability, or deepen the rift? The Mayo Hospital Controversy: CM’s clash, Rs3.5B crisis rocks Punjab’s health scene.
