ISLAMABAD: Expressing dissatisfaction over performance of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and the delay in the expansion of Polyclinic, a Senate committee directed the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to take visible steps to improve the health sector.

Senator Talha Mehmood lashed out at the Pims administration, while chairing the meeting of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday.

“Pims has failed to deliver. The staff treats the poor patients like animals. Litter is not cleaned up and is causing viruses to spread,” he said.

The senator said Pims doctors also run private clinics, which affected their performance.

“Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should probe this matter,” he said.

Members of the standing committee also expressed concern over the closure of the liver transplant facility at Pims.

Dr Altaf Hussain, administrator of Pims, told the senators that in 2009, the liver transplant facility was launched at Pims but the project had to be discontinued due to lack of funds.

Senator Saifullah Khan Bangash pointed out that while Pims had shut down the liver transplant facility, Shifa International Hospital carried out successful transplants.

“I know Pims doctors refer patients to Shifa,” he said.

The committee directed the Pims administration to ensure the facility was revived for low income patients who could not afford private hospitals where each transplant costs over Rs5 million.

The chairman of the committee said that purchase of equipment for liver transplant facility and hiring of initial staff was done in a non-transparent manner.

“This matter should be handed over to the FIA,” Committee Chairman Senator Talha Mahmood said.

Secretary CADD Khalid Hanif told the committee that currently Pims was being supervised by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University.

“After the establishment of this university, the issues of Pims have been increasing as there is contentious relationship between hospital and university administrators,” the secretary said.

Earlier, Dr Altaf Hussain told the committee that there is no arrangement for collection of garbage from the hospital.

“We have been requesting the CDA to collect garbage from hospital premises but no one paid attention,” he said.

The committee also expressed displeasure over the delay in the expansion of Polyclinic. The CADD secretary told the committee that Capital Development Authority had moved a summary to the cabinet for using Argentina Park land for the expansion of Polyclinic.

“The CDA told us that they moved summary almost six months back,” the secretary said.

To this, Senator Kamal Ali Agha said that lawmakers have been hearing about expansion of Polyclinic for the last 18 years.

Polyclinic Executive Director Dr Zahid Hussain said the hospital had sufficient funds for the expansion project.

“If funds are available and the project is still facing delays, it seems the bureaucrats are not interested in the expansion of the hospital,” Kamal Ali Agha said.

FDE daily wage employees’ salary issues

The committee also took up the issue of the delay in the salaries of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) employees, of whom some 845 have not been paid for a year.

Director General, FDE, Shahnaz A. Riaz told the committee that employees have been waiting for their salaries for the last four months. She sought the committee’s help in resolving this issue.

“We have funds to pay these employees but the finance ministry is raising objections.”

The committee directed DG FDE and Secretary CADD to resolve this matter before June 30. In response to a query, the secretary said that there were a huge number of fake employees in the list of daily-wage employees, which is why the salaries have been facing delays.

“After screening, now we have 845 genuine teaching and non-teaching employees, who we will pay in next the few days,” the secretary assured the committee.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2015

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