ISLAMABAD: Objections about the decision to advertise posts in the absence of notified rules by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) management were raised by stakeholders on Wednesday.

A delegation of the Federal Grand Health Alliance (FGHA), led by its chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan informed the hospital’s management that all advertisements were illegal.

FGHA representatives said that they will not let the rights of civil servants be compromised, adding that as per the amended Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Act, civil servants can join MTI seats for 10 years while keeping their civil servant status intact which is why the management cannot advertise posts without getting input from the staff.

They demanded that rules should first be formed and an option given to civil servants about whether they want to join the MTI or continue as civil servants.

A representative of the employees, Chaudhry Riaz Gujar, said the service structure of non-clinical cadre must be approved on an urgent basis.

Dr Asfandyar demanded that new recruitments must be done after the rules were notified and after employees were given an option to join MTI or serve as existing employees.

Young Doctors Association ChairmanDr Hyder Abbasi said employees would cooperate with the new administration but also had the option to protest or approach courts in case any unjust step was taken.

The Pims management assured the delegation that it would go by the book and not take any extra-constitutional steps that would infringe upon the rights of civil servants.

It is worth mentioning that in November 2020, President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance.

According to its initial draft, a board of governors (BoG) would deal with affairs of Pims once it became MTI.

Members were appointed and notified by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on the recommendation of a search and nomination council. The BoG was given overall superintendence and control over functions of the hospital for instance appointing deans, the hospital director, medical director, nursing director and finance director.

However, the staff of Pims protested against the ordinance and on June 28 last year, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services rejected the MTI bill. Later, it could not sail through the upper house and lapsed on July 13. However, the bill was passed through a joint session.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Asfandyarsaid it was mentioned in the MTI Act that rules and regulations would be made and then an option would be given to employees if they wanted to retain the status of a civil servant or not.

“As per our understanding, those who will join the hospital as its employees will be promoted on separate quota or seats. Civil servants will be promoted on regular seats which will be left vacant in case of retirement of existing officers for 10 years and will be filled only by promotions,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Pims Director Dr Khalid Masood, Medical Director Prof Syed Hashim Raza and Dean Prof Rizwan Taj.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2022