ISLAMABAD: While the last date for filing of applications for different posts at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is yet to arrive, appointments of doctors against the advertised posts have shocked employees of the hospital.

The employees have urged the top management of the hospital and the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to ensure transparency and merit in the appointments.

According to documents available with Dawn, the hospital has advertised vacant posts in different departments.

The last date for applying for the post of the associate professor in pulmonology department is Feb 4. Similarly, the last date to apply for the post of the associate professor nephrology and assistant professor paediatric dermatology is January 31. However, doctors have been already appointed against the posts.

A senior doctor requesting not to be quoted said the issue of Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) had already made the management and hospital controversial.

“Such steps will bring further bad repute for the hospital. The management should ensure that appointments are made on merit and in a transparent manner.

The appointments have given an impression that blue-eyed people are being appointed,” he alleged.

He said Dr Ziaul Haq had been appointed in the pulmonology department, Dr Mehwish in dermatology and Dr Nadeem and Dr Sajid in the nephrology department. Moreover, Dr Riaz and Dr Mujahid have been appointed in the neurosurgery department.

“It is unfortunate that doctors have been appointed rather than waiting for the last date of submission of applications. It gives an impression that prior to advertising the posts it was already decided who will be appointed,” he said.

He said while employees were protesting against MTI, the health ministry had promised that the Pims staff in case of refusal to surrender their civil servant status will be allowed to hold administrative posts for 10 years but it was not being implemented.

When contacted, Hospital Director Dr Khalid Masood told Dawn that he took charge a fortnight ago and was not aware if any appointment had been made. However, he said, it was not possible to appoint staff before the last date of filing of applications.

“It is a fact that appointments could not be made for a decade in the hospital and that is why MTI has been introduced to address issues of the hospital. However, Dean Dr Rizwan Taj is the right person to ask about it,” he said.

However, Dr Taj was not available for comments. In November 2020, President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated the MTI ordinance under which the hospital would be run through a board of governors (BoG). According to the ordinance, the BoG will deal with all affairs of Pims.

The members were appointed and notified by the health ministry on the recommendation of a search and nomination council. The BoG has overall superintendence and control over the functions of the hospital.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2022