ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is facing severe shortage of life-saving drugs as well as surgical items due to financial constraints.

The sources said that despite non-availability of even low-priced drugs and minor surgery items, the hospital administration provided a few costly life-saving drugs and surgery items to the emergency department.

“On the other hand, some staff working in the emergency wards steal these costly items and sell in the market at low prices, whereas administration has no check on those corrupt elements.”

The sources further said sometimes accidental cases were brought to the hospital’s emergency for urgent care and treatment, but the emergency staff did not provide them even first aid items and compel the attendants of the patients to bring required items from the market.

The sources said: “It has become a routine matter that costly surgery items and other medicines are being purchased in large quantity, and there is no check on it, which are causing great problems for the poor and needy.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Services Tribunal (FST) has admitted for regular hearing an appeal filed on behalf of Shoaib Islam, the former president of Pims Employees Action Committee, challenging his forced retirement from service for carrying out union activities.

The court has issued notices to the Pims administration to explain its position.

The two-member bench of the FST comprising Justice Abdul Razzaq and Justice Hassan Raza Pasha was told by the counsel for appellant that the appellant was compulsorily retired from service in his prime youth due to his lawful trade union activities as well as fighting against the rights of the low paid employees of the institute. He submitted that under the removal from service ordinance any person cannot be awarded such an extreme punishment.—PPI