ISLAMABAD: Employees of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Tuesday held an emergency meeting of Federal Health Alliance (FHA) to discuss backdoor recruitment by Pims Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) and delay in MTI repeal bill (Pims Bill) from Senate.

FHA Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Gujjar, speaking to participants of the meeting, said that the government should immediately pass the bill in the Senate and fulfil its promise to restore Pims to its 2018 position so that employees could have status of civil servants.

He said that the dean of the hospital should stop the recruitment process otherwise employees will be left with no option but to close the hospital and medical services.

Mr Gujjar, while talking to Dawn, said that it was unfortunate that the bill suggesting repealing MTI has been stuck in the upper house despite the fact that it was passed by the National Assembly and Standing Committee of the Senate on National Health Services.

Spokesperson FHA Dr. Haider Abbasi alleged that MTI administration was making appointments in back date and urged the Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel to take notice.

He demanded from the government to immediately put Pims Bill in the agenda of the current Senate session and abolish MTI, which has been promised many times by the Health Minister.

Participants of the meeting decided that if there was further delay and the appointments continue to be made in the same way, then the protest will start again.

It is worth mentioning that in November 2020 the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated MTI Ordinance suggesting that the hospital will be run through board of governors (BoG).

According to the ordinance BoG will deal with all affairs of the Pims. The members were appointed and notified by the Ministry of NHS on the recommendation of a search and nomination council.

Though employees protested against the Ordinance, it sailed through the parliament.

However the current government had announced to repeal the MTI Act and a bill, suggesting repeal of the Act has been passed by the National Assembly and needs to sail through the Senate.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2022