ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) administration has submitted proposals to the government, seeking setting up of new institutions in different disciplines on the premises of the hospital.

The proposals sought government’s financial assistance to build institutions like neurosurgery, urology, cardiac diseases, burn centre, rehabilitation centre, kidney, trauma and diabetic centres, the Pims executive director, Dr Fazal Hadi, said here on Wednesday.

He was briefing the leader of a delegation from Kyrgyzstan, Mitalip Mamytov, during the latter’s visit to the hospital.

During the briefing, Mr Mamytov expressed his desire of initiating a programme under which both Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan exchanged their medical professionals, specialists, doctors and medical students.

Mr Mamytov said the Kyrgyz government was trying its best to improve its budget in the health sector, that currently was two per cent of its GDP due to weak economy.

He said the Kyrgyz government was pursuing a national plan to increase health spending by 4.5 per cent of its GDP by the year 2010 along with another programme to reduce poverty.

He said though he was a minister, he still performed operations on daily basis as he was also a neurosurgeon.

He showed interest in the department of neurosurgery where he was briefed by its head, Prof Khaliquzzaman.

Dr Fazal Hadi said he was delighted to hear about the idea of collaboration between the two countries and assured that Pims would like to train medical students from Kyrgyzstan.

Earlier in a briefing, Dr Hadi said Pims was a 947-bedded hospital which was commissioned in December 18, 1986, having eight components, including the main hospital, Children Hospital, Maternal and Child Health (MCH), School of Nursing, College of Medical Technology, Training Centre for MCH and Quaid-i-Azam Postgraduate Medical Centre.

He said Pims had 151 specialists, 141 medical officers, 140 house physicians, 276 postgraduate residents, 567 nurses and 1,897 paramedics and support staff.

About the beds strength, he said in the surgical ward, Pims had 243 beds; medical ward, 222; cardiac care unit, 55; private/special wards, 70; children hospital, 205 and MCH, 125.

The hospital’s annual budget was Rs474 million while it generated an amount of Rs60 million through private patients.

Last year, 19,000 patients were admitted to the hospital while 350,000 patients visited the outpatient department, 103,000 patients of accidents and emergency were attended, 8,000 operations were performed, 625,000 laboratory tests were conducted and 105,000 radiology imagings were carried out.

An amount of Rs15 million was also spent on free services through Zakat, Rs1.5 million through Baitul Mal, Rs1 million through AJK Zakat and Rs500,000 through patient welfare fund. These services were offered in the fields of OPD/indoor, drugs/medicine, surgical supplies, diagnostic and specialized diet.