PIMS doctors stand by their executive director

ISLAMABAD: Doctors of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have demanded that the Ministry of Health order investigations before dismissing the executive director of the hospital.

Dr Sajid Qazi, a senior doctor at Pims, told The Express Tribune that their strike will continue until the ministry assures them that they will not remove Dr Ghazala Mehmood from the post of executive director without a probe into the matter. “Since 2009, almost five executive directors (EDs) have been changed without any solid reason,” he said. The transferred EDs include Dr Fazle Hadi, in whose place Dr Altaf Hussain was appointed acting ED. Dr Hussain held the post for a few weeks.

But without any stated reason, he was replaced by Dr Mehmood Jamal, a child specialist. Dr Jamal too stayed for only a few weeks before being replaced Dr Hussain again. Dr Hussain’s second stint as ED did not last long and he was replaced by Dr Ghazala Mehmood. “Now, without even probing the issue, the Ministry of Health has removed Dr Mehmood,” Dr Qazi said. “It has become very difficult for doctors to continue their work with the management constantly changing.”

Dr Rasheed Jumma, Director General, Ministry of Health, talking to The Express Tribune, admitted that PIMS ED had been changed many times. “PIMS is so rife with politics that the ED has to resign even if a small incident happens,” he said. Dr Jumma maintained that Dr Mehmood had resigned herself from the post of ED. But Dr Ghazala Mehmood insisted that the ministry had forced her to resign. Dr Jamal has been appointed ED for now and the Ministry of Health hopes he will stay for a longer period of time, Dr Jumma said.