ISLAMABAD, March 8: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) administration on Saturday said a feasibility report was being finalized to buy a modern angiography unit to replace the old machine which had been out of order since October last.

Pims executive director (ED) Prof Azhar Mahmood Qureshi told Dawn that the PC-I for buying the new machine was likely to be finalized by the end of June, after which it would be submitted to the health ministry.

“We are hoping that the new machine will be made available during the next financial year,” he said.

The executive director said they were also considering preparing a separate PC-I for buying a new lithotripsy machine and a laser unit for ENT and Eye departments.

In addition to this, he said, a project had been prepared to establish a Cardiac Surgery Unit at the hospital, which was at the final stage of approval from the ministry. “This will greatly benefit, entitled patients as well as general public in getting surgical treatment for cardiac bypass procedures and valvular heart diseases.”

Talking about the old angiography equipment, Prof Qureshi said the 1990-model unit had been installed in May 1996 with French donation.

“From the very first day, when the machine went out of order, extensive efforts were made by the Pims administration, specialists of cardiology department and electromedical staff to get it repaired at the earliest,” he said.

He said the tender for repair was called, in which only one firm participated as sole authorized dealer of the equipment in Pakistan.

Since the price was too high, negotiations were carried out, after which the contract for maintenance was awarded. Later, the firm engineers worked for two months, but failed to locate the exact fault.

“Since, the firm could not detect the fault, a show-cause notice was issued to it, and the manufacturers of the equipment in France were informed about their dealer’s poor performance,” the executive director said.

However, one week ago, they (firm) were able to locate the exact fault in the machine and, subsequently, an order was placed for spare parts, he said.

“The firm has given an undertaking that the machine will be repaired in six to eight weeks,” Prof Qureshi said.

However, he made it clear that no payment had yet been made to the company. The payment would only be made when the machine was fully repaired and functional.

He conceded that prior to the firm which was currently undertaking the maintenance of the equipment, another company was doing the job, but it wound up its business in the country as the machines had become obsolete.