Karachi: Pakistan’s new Health Minister, Abdul Qadir Patel, has said he is more than happy with social media posts likening him to the famous Bollywood film character ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’.
Patel became the successor to Dr Faisal Sultan, who served as the special assistant to former prime minister Imran Khan on Health. Dr Sultan, a foreign qualified expert in infectious diseases, who headed the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital for many years before joining the government, was considered the best choice made by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government to head the Ministry of National Health Services. Patel, in contrast, has nothing to do with the health sector.
While answering a query from a journalist at the Karachi Press Club, Patel said the ministerial position was an administrative post and, being a political worker who had spent 35 years on the streets of Karachi, he knew very well how to discharge such responsibilities. “That was the reason that I started visiting hospitals before assuming charge of the ministry,” he said.
“A political worker like me doesn’t need to be told what method is required to run such affairs,” Patel added.
He said that thousands of doctors were associated with his ministry. “I never said that from now on, I’m going to start performing operations, surgeries, and prescribing medicines to patients.”
The Health Minister said that his job was to administratively manage the affairs of the health sector and he possessed the ability to perform such duties.
Patel said he was more than happy to be likened to the character of Munna Bhai MBBS. “It was the best film. It had this wonderful character who possessed the ability to make things right just with his ‘Jadu Ki Jhappi’ (a magical hug),” he said.
“I’m ready for that character but it is equally imperative that my predecessor (Dr Faisal Sultan) should also act like Dr Asthana (the film’s other famous character played by actor Boman Irani) and practice the laughter therapy,” Patel added.
