ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — The government is preparing legislation to give the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences greater financial and administrative autonomy and put it under a chief executive officer, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday, months after a fire in the hospital’s nursery killed 14 newborn babies.
The proposed law, drafted by a sub-committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is meant to restructure Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital, Kamal told the National Assembly’s standing committee on health. Its departments would get more financial and administrative powers, and the rule under which the executive director is appointed from within the institution would be reviewed. The draft will go to the prime minister for approval.
“The existing employees of PIMS will retain their existing terms and conditions, and their benefits after retirement will not be affected,” Kamal said, adding that new recruitment would follow retirements as posts fell vacant.
Recommendations and accountability
The August 26 fire drew nationwide anger. A final government inquiry made public in September found “systemic and institutional failure” and made 34 recommendations. Kamal said all of them had been fully complied with, while PIMS Executive Director Professor Tanveer Khaliq told the committee that about 17 had been implemented.
Khaliq said the hospital had expanded its oversight committee, appointed senior administrators, set up a procurement committee, and introduced third-party tenders. It has divided itself into six major components that will work as separate hospitals with their own heads reporting to the CEO, and about 2,000 staff have been trained to handle fires and evacuate patients.
Asked what action had been taken against those responsible, Kamal said the officials named in the initial inquiry had been suspended and the matter referred to the interior ministry. He did not give a clear account of any further disciplinary or criminal proceedings. In August the prime minister ordered eight PIMS officials suspended and criminal action launched.
