ISLAMABAD, Aug 21: Federal Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan on Thursday directed the management of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) to maintain financial discipline and weed out corruption from the institute.

He also ordered for immediately promotion of those doctors who suffered because of tampering with their annual confidential reports (ACRs).

He issued these directives while speaking at a symposium on recent advances in the management of breast cancer, organized by the Pims department of surgery, which was attended by a large number of surgeons, oncologists and researchers from all over the country.

The minister also directed the hospital administration to depoliticize the premier health institute of the country, maintaining discipline and hygiene.

Mr Nasir appealed to the doctors to dispense their duties in a fair manner.

By appointing right man at the right place will discourage the doctors from contacting health ministry for redressal of their problems.

“All financial and moral corruption and conspiracies must come to an end. Good doctors, who have suffered long enough, must be brought forward,” the minister said, adding that Pims had the potential to fulfil expectations attached to it.

He admitted that a change was being witnessed in the hospital after the appointment of Dr Fazal Hadi, and also referred to the efficient handling of a road accident patient by the hospital’s emergency staff recently.

“It does not cost to smile, to show compassion and to demonstrate a sense of urgency when a patient’s life is at stake,” he said.

The minister also acknowledged the stressful nature of the profession and suggested to the Pims executive director to provide maximum facilities to doctors like setting up of a recreation room equipped with a television and internet facility.

He also called for making available important medical journals to keep doctors abreast with latest developments in medical science and promised to provide funds in this regard.

Preventive measures, he said, were of foremost importance to combat breast cancer, which was a deadly disease, specially in the West.

Mr Khan deplored that the menace was striking countries like Pakistan “when we can ill afford as a society to manage this fatal disease”.

He also suggested to formulate guidelines for the management of breast cancer at all levels. He said the government was committed to providing quality care to all patients whether rich or poor.

Earlier, Dr Hadi said, at present, there were 269 trainees in different disciplines of the institute. He said Pims had produced 389 specialists so far.

About the department of general surgery, he said it had produced 60 surgical specialists, conducted 22 preparatory fellowship courses, completed 60 research projects on clinical topics and published 35 volumes of the Journal of Surgery. This, he said, was in addition to regular teaching programmes and hands-on training in surgical procedures.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahila Yahya Munawwar and department of surgery head Prof Ghayur H. Ayub were also present on the occasion.