ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) staff closed the outpatient department (OPD) for two hours on Saturday to protest the government’s decision to set up a board of governors at the hospital, announcing that they would continue to protest until the decision is withdrawn.

The strike affected thousands of patients and their attendants, and hospital staff also seemed panicked in the face of such an unexpected decision from the PTI.

“Under the PPP, the hospital was declared the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University, which changed the status of civil servants and deprived us of a number of facilities. We protested it during the tenure of the PML-N and at the time Asad Umar and Ali Awan, MNAs elected from Islamabad, used to participate in those protests,” All Employees Pims Restoration Movement (AEPRM) spokesperson Dr Asfandyar Khan told Dawn.

Employees to protest until decision is withdrawn

“We succeeded because of the PTI’s support and the PML-N finally agreed to declare the hospital a government institute and restore the civil servant status of employees,” he said, adding: “However, now the PTI has moved to make a board of governors to run the hospital.”

Dr Khan said this would lead a private individual to be appointed head of the hospital.

“We went against our families and supported the PTI, but now the PTI is trying to declare Pims an autonomous institution and run in through a private individual,” he said.

A senior Pims official who asked not to be named said the hospital has been run smoothly for a year, but the sudden decision to establish a board of governors has led to unrest.

“Former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the hospital and praised its performance. But now strikes and protests have started once again, due to which patients will ultimately suffer,” he said.

He added that the Supreme Court decided in 2016 that the status of Pims’ civil servants could not be changed, but it was unfortunate that the government did not take employees into confidence while making this decision.

Tanveer Noshahi, a representative of the employees union, said that the decision to set up a board of governors at the hospital was made at a recent cabinet meeting. He said this would lead to nepotism in the hospital and cause employees to suffer.

“We appeal to the government that it should not implement its decision,” he said, adding: “There was a proposal to protest on the roads, but we decided to delay it because of the arrival of the Saudi crown prince as we care about the interests of Pakistan.”

“However, we will continue out protest and the outpatient department will be closed from 8am to 10am six days a week. In the second phase we will protest on the road and finally, we will lock down the capital, because the government’s decision will affect both employees and patients as the cost of treatment will be increased and in the future, employees will be appointed on a contract basis,” he said.

MNA Ali Awan told Dawn a similar model was introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The board of governors will have representation from parliament, health and financial experts, etc. It will appoint a chief operation officer to run the hospital. It is a fact that doctors cannot run hospitals and professional administrators are required to run them,” he said.

“However, the impression that the status of employees will be changed is wrong. I am the son of a government employee and always speak in favour of government employees. We just want that Pakistani doctors come from abroad and start practicing here. Moreover, employees should be appointed on a contract basis as they should be hospital employees rather than employees of the ministry,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019