Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has ordered strict action against employees who are not performing their duties at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The minister inspected the Cardiac Centre and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at PIMS. He also reviewed the electrophysiology cath lab and spoke to patients about the problems they were facing. Staff were directed to ensure quality medical care for patients.
Mustafa Kamal took notice of complaints about a shortage of beds at the Cardiac Centre. He also expressed concern over the poor condition of private rooms. He said damaged walls were being covered with fresh paint instead of being properly repaired.
The minister told doctors to treat patients respectfully and avoid harsh behaviour. He suggested bringing in experts to train doctors on how to communicate with patients.
Kamal also directed the newly appointed PIMS Executive Director, Dr Salman, to address the hospital’s problems. He said the new administration would not be given months to understand the system and must start producing results immediately.
Doctors highlight major problems
Doctors presented several complaints, during the PIMS visit. They said the PIMS ICU had only 10 beds and lacked fire-safety equipment.
Doctors also complained that requests for additional beds had not been addressed. They said several ICU items were no longer functional and there was a serious shortage of staff. In a fire emergency, they said they had only cylinders available for firefighting.
Minister orders immediate administrative action
Kamal told the hospital administration to remove employees who were not working properly and replace them with capable people. He said delaying necessary decisions was damaging the entire system. He also asked management to submit cases to him if necessary.
The minister ordered daily monitoring of repair and maintenance work. He also asked PIMS management to prepare a proposal outlining a new administrative model and the transfer of powers within the hospital.
Kamal said he would personally continue visiting PIMS to monitor conditions and ensure that problems faced by patients and doctors were addressed.