ISLAMABAD: Staff of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Wednesday decided to hold general body meeting to on Saturday to devise a line of action against the government’s move to privatise hospital.

During a meeting, the employees were of the view that privatisation would not only put their jobs at stake but will also increase the cost of treatment.

They claimed that all possible options including agitation would be weighed to protect the interests of staff as well as patients.

Spokesperson for Pims Restoration Movement Dr Asfandyar Khan while addressing the employees said last month members of the movement had a meeting with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and got assurance that Medical Teaching Institution Act would not be promulgated without taking them into confidence.

“Moreover, we were told that the movement’s representatives will be allowed to participate in the meetings which will discuss the draft of the act. We have learnt from reliable sources that government has in principal decided to promulgate the Act but no one has bothered to invite us in the meetings,” he said.

Representative of employees union Nawaz Lali said the employees had also learnt that arrangements were being made to appoint contractual employees on regular posts.

“Earlier, the management had advertised regular posts and even held tests and interviews, but now the appointment process has been stopped and lists have been prepared to appoint some persons on contract basis,” he said.

Another speaker Mohammad Sharif Khattak announced that the meeting of the general body would be held on Saturday.

“We will take the employees into confidence that why every government starts efforts to privatise Pims. Moreover, we will also contact the employees of other hospitals because sooner or later they will also face the same situation,” he said.

A leader of non-gazetted employees association Chaudhry Riaz Gujjar said employees would continue their struggle for the service structure.

Dr Asfandyar, while talking to Dawn, said 100 regular posts of consultants were lying vacant in the hospital and the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) had been asked to initiate the process to appoint consultants.

“But the ministry has sent a letter to the FPSC suggesting it to stop the consultants’ recruitment process as they will be appointed on contract basis. It shows that the government has decided to privatise the hospital,” he said.

He said that Dr Mirza had visited hospital along with representatives of World Health Organisation and Members of Health Task Force.

“We have learnt that an autonomous board of governors would be established which will be run by private persons and will be monitored by private persons. It has been decided to appoint around 2,000 employees in the hospital on contract basis,” Dr Asfandyar claimed.

He said the government wanted to reduce health budget and a plan had been prepared to put the financial burden on the patients.

“During general body meeting we will decide to go for the agitation and will stage a protest outside the National Press Club,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2019