Patients made to wait as Polyclinic, NIRM staff bids adieu to chiefs

CADD appoints executive directors for the two hospitals

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on Wednesday appointed executive directors for two major public hospitals in the city.

However, the postings meant that doctors and staff were busy bidding farewell and welcoming the officials at the expense of patients.

The division appointed Dr Fazle Maula as the Executive Director (ED) of National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), while Dr Zahid Larik was appointed as the ED of the Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic).

Dr Maula has previously served with the hospital for nine years. Last year, he had been appointed as the administrator for the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). But later, he was sent back to K-P labour department after spending 19 years in the federal capital on orders from the apex court.

On Wednesday, he appointed again as the NIRM executive director again on deputation for a period of three years, ensuring his return to the capital.

Meanwhile, Dr Larik who was previously heading NIRM had been transferred to Polyclinic as the joint executive director but was given acting charge of ED of the hospital.

The two EDs relinquished and assumed the charge on Wednesday at NIRM and Polyclinic respectively.

Patients on hold

With doctors and other technical staff at the hospital busy in bidding farewell to the outgoing executive director and to welcoming his replacement, it caused problems for patients who had to wait for hours for doctors to examine them and to conduct various tests.

“We have been waiting since morning and the doctor has gone to meet the new ED,” said a woman who had come for an eye exam of her young son.

“Such meetings should be held after OPD timings so that patients do not have to wait,” the woman said, as she added that she had travelled from the Bari Imam area for a check up at the NIRM in Sector G-8.

Another perturbed mother complained said she had been waiting for X-rays of her sick daughter but the length and immobility of the queues indicated that perhaps no one was there to conduct X-rays.

A number of people who had visited the hospitals to get fitness certificates for job applications were seen standing in queues for hours while waiting for physicians.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2017.