‘PIMS not to be corporatised’

Paramedics end protest on Dr Sultan’s assurance after 71 days

ISLAMABAD:

The dialogue between the protesting employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the government has been successful, doctors and paramedical staff have ended their 71-day-long protest.

The Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan came to Pims on Tuesday and announced amending the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Act and omitting any provision regarding conversion of PIMS into a corporate body.

The announcement was made as Dr. Sultan visited the protest camp at PIMS on Tuesday, following the meeting with a delegation of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) on Monday. Dr. Sultan said the provision in the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Act regarding conversion of Pims into a corporate body would be omitted while the Board of Governors (BoGs) will also include a retired professor of the healthcare facility.

After the approval of the demands, the protesting employees of PIMS ended their demonstration which was going on for the past 71 days.

Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Asfandyar said the SAPM had assured them of fulfilling all demands. He added that the rights of the Pims employees would not be infringed while they would get all facilities similar to those of civil servants.

Dr Asfandyar said the heads of the departments would include employees other than the MTI Act too.

He said that the government had agreed to the most important demand of the public healthcare professionals – the omission of the provision regarding conversion of PIMS into a corporate body.

He said although the hospital will be run by BoG, it would also include a retired official of the healthcare facility and the government and the GHA has agreed upon the name of Dr Sami Khan.

Earlier on Monday, SAPM on health had assured the GHA of fulfilling their demands and redressal of their problems.

GHA Chairman Dr Asfandyar had led the delegation comprising PIMS employees for a meeting with the health secretary and Dr Sultan. GHA chairman said that SAPM had assured that all employees of the healthcare facility would get facilities equivalent to civil servants while the method of their promotion would remain the same.

The officials other than those under MTI would be the heads of the departments. Consultants opting for private practice would not be allowed to become head of any department at Pims, he explained.

MTI Act issue

The MTI Act had granted powers to the BoG to run the affairs of the hospital. Civil servants were excluded from the board which was supposed to be selected by a search committee of the National Institute of Health.

Moreover, employees who opt for private practice within the premises of the hospital, clinics, imaging facilities, and laboratories of Pims may be entitled to such an increase in salary, adjustment, bonuses, or other ancillary benefits as the board may approve.

Those who do not opt for private practice within the premises shall be allowed to do their private practice outside the premises but shall not be entitled to any increase in adjustment, incentives, bonuses or other ancillary benefits.

According to the Ministry of National Health Services, the health delivery system will further improve in PIMS with the implementation of MTI Act. The act was imposed to enhance the performance and standard of federal government hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2021.