ISLAMABAD: Condemning the Ministry of National Health Services’ (NHS) efforts to divide the staff of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and privatise the hospital, the All Employees Pims Restoration Movement (AEPRM) has announced that outpatient departments (OPD) will be closed from Monday.

AEPRM spokesperson Dr Asfandyar Khan told Dawn they were frustrated by the “continuous double game by the Ministry of NHS and the Health Task Force (HTF)”.

“Now we have been left with no choice but to close OPDs for two hours a day in the first phase, and then go for complete closure in the second phase,” he said.

Representatives from all the associations and unions of the hospital attended a meeting on Wednesday. Those present included doctors such as Dr Asfandyar Khan and Dr Faisal Kakar, officers association representatives Nawaz Lali, Sadaqat Awan and Chaudhry Khalid, nursing association representative Sharif Khatak and Sadia Bashir and representatives of the non-gazetted employees association, Chaudhry Riaz Gujar, Malik Matloob and Malik Tahir Awan.

All Employees Pims Restoration Movement condemns NHS ministry’s efforts to ‘divide staff and privatise hospital’

Dr Khan said that no one had been interested for the last four months in taking staff into confidence when it came to turning Pims into a medical teaching institution.

“During a meeting with employees a few months ago, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Zafar Mirza expressed ignorance about the medical teaching institution [matter]. Then a few days ago, the special assistant to the prime minister confirmed that the medical teaching institution was on the cards.

“We fear that employees will not only lose job security but patients will also suffer because the hospital will be instructed to generate its own funds by increasing the cost of treatment,” he said.

Dr Mirza had also said that employees would be given a choice between a higher paying contractual job and continuing as government servants until the age of superannuation. But employees who refuse to take contractual jobs could be transferred to any other public sector hospital.

He had also claimed that the medical teaching institution system would improve service delivery and allow hospitals to generate revenue.

It was decided at Wednesday’s meeting that all of the hospitals OPDs would be closed every day from 8am to 10am, starting Monday, Dr Khan said.

“However, we will not be stay limited to that decision. We will increase the duration of strikes and hold protests outside the hospital. Doctors will lose job security because of the decision to turn the hospital into a medical teaching institution, and poor patients will be told to either pay for treatment or return to their homes. We are also afraid that the hospital will be run by a board of governors, and all the decisions will be made to generate revenue,” he said.

In response to a question, Dr Khan said the meeting also discussed the management and ministry’s decision to establish the Insaf Doctor Federation (IDF) at Pims, which he said would be used to implement their divide-and-rule policy.

Doctors who belong to the federation who are postgraduates and have nothing to do with the hospital are invited to the ministry’s meeting and they are trying to convince the staff that the medical teaching institution is a good move, he said.

“On Thursday, Dr Mirza is going to give the staff a lecture, and the IDF has been inviting staff on the ministry’s behalf,” he said.

He feared this move by the government would trigger unrest among employees, and inspire other parties such as the PPP, PML-N and Jamaat-i-Islami to establish their own associations in the hospital as well.

He said if such activities are not halted, the government will be responsible for any kind of untoward situation.

According to a statement issued by the staff, the AEPRM condemns the government’s tactics to pressure the top leadership. The AEPRM has decided to begin door-to-door campaigns in all components of Pims to raise awareness among employees and patients.

“Various task forces to bring awareness, in employees and patients, are constituted by Doctors Association, Non-Medical Staff Association, Officer Association, Paramedical Association and Nursing Association.

It is further added that NIRM hospital, Polyclinic hospital will also be line-up for token protest against MTI. Civil Society, Merchants Associations, Secretariat Unions will also be called on this matter as the facilities of health cannot be compromised at any cost,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019