ISLAMABAD: A three to seven-member Board of Governors (BoG) will deal with all affairs of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) once it becomes a medical teaching institution (MTI).

The members shall be appointed and notified by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on the commendation of a search and nomination council. If appointed, the members will hold office for a period of three years and will be eligible for re-appointment.

The draft Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) 2019 bill approved by the federal cabinet and available with Dawn shows that autonomy would be given to the hospital by declaring it MTI. The BoG shall have overall superintendence and control over the functions of the hospital.

According to draft bill, no serving civil servant or govt officer shall become member of board of governors

No serving civil servant or government officer shall be a member of the BoG. The chairperson shall be elected by the members through voting from amongst themselves.

In case of his absence, the chairperson may nominate a board member as the acting chairperson or if he has not done so the members present shall elect an acting chairperson for a meeting.

The draft reveals that all decisions of the board shall be taken by consensus and in case of a division of opinion the decision shall be taken by a majority of votes. In case of equality of votes, the chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

The BoG shall appoint deans, the hospital director, medical director, nursing director and finance director of the hospital. The board may delegate its power of recruitment to any of the persons appointed by it. The chairperson of the board may, in case of exigency of service, appoint the deans, medical director, hospital director, nursing director and finance director on officiating basis. All such appointments shall be placed before the BoG for approval within three months.

The ministry shall constitute and notify a search and nomination council for recommendations of persons from the private sector suitable to be appointed as members of the BoG which shall be chaired by minister for health.

All employees, whether having opted or directly appointed prior to the Act or pursuant to the Act, shall at all times be governed exclusively by the terms and conditions of service as may be prescribed by the BoG and shall be deemed contractual employees and retain no vested right in such employment beyond the prescribed terms of service and rules.

All employees, except the dean, hospital director, medical director, nursing director and finance director, shall have the right to appeal against any penalty, censure or termination of their employment to the BoG unless such penalty, censure or termination is by an order of the BoG itself.

“Any employee aggrieved by a decision of the BoG may seek resolution of the grievance by referral of the grievance or dispute to the board of arbitration for Pims as established by the ministry pursuant to the rules framed for dispute resolution. The decision of the board of arbitration shall be final in all respects. Pending cases of employees in courts would be transferred with immediate effect for adjudication to the board of arbitration.”

It states that the ministry shall establish by way of a notification a board of arbitration for Pims and frame dispute resolution rules for the functioning of the board of arbitration. This board shall consist of a minimum of six arbitrators nominated by the ministry.

Employees who opt for private practice within the premises of the hospital, clinics, imaging facilities and laboratories of Pims may be entitled to such increase in salary, adjustment, bonuses or other ancillary benefits as the board may approve. Those who do not opt for private practice within the premises of hospitals, clinics, imaging facilities and laboratories of Pims shall be allowed to do their private practice outside the premises but shall not be entitled to any increase in adjustment, incentives, bonuses or other ancillary benefits.

Private patient billing shall consist of the professional fee component and the institutional charges representing the charges of the clinic, imaging facility, laboratory services or other institutional charges. All patient billing shall be done only by the hospital, clinic, imaging facility or laboratory and the professional fee component shall be returned to the consultant.

A percentage share from the institutional charges shall be distributed between the employees based on performance and productivity, according to a format to be prescribed by regulations.

Meanwhile, Pims Officers Welfare Association at a meeting discussed the issue of MTI on Thursday.

Chaired by association’s president Mohammad Sadaqat Awan, the meeting decided that the employees would not accept the MTI.

High court lawyer Syed Zameer Hussain Naqvi was also invited to the meeting to get a legal opinion.

According to statement of the association, the participants were of the view that MTI would be a major financial blow to poor patients who come from different areas of the country.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has already rejected all concerns of the employees and said across the globe MTI is the only way to run major hospitals.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2019