ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: Disappointed or dissatisfied with the city police, the management of the violence-rocked Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has sought arm licenses from the government to equip 10 of its security guards with weapons of prohibited bore.

Dawn has learned that the unusual request was put to the federal government through the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD) after the bout of violence witnessed on the hospital grounds last week.

“The licenses were demanded by the management of the hospital with the help of Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD) because of frequent visits of legislators including superior judiciary which visits the hospital’s premises for routine medical checkups on different working days,” insisted the official.

The guards are usually instructed to stay outside the hospital premises. Although there have been a few instances in which the guards did enter the premises of the hospital, in violation of laid down security protocols, according to one official.

“We have seen instances in which the private guards entered the hospital premises which gives a negative message to the working doctors as they feel perturbed over the presence of armed men within the hospital premises,” said the official.

Thursday’s controversy also involved private guards manhandling of a young doctor which is one reason for the management to equip its security staff with arms.

The official said that the hospital had the services of only 52 security guards, who were hired on a permanent basis, when the hospital opened in 1986. Since then no major security staff has been hired by the Pims management.

“These security officials are not trained to manage security assignments of the political leaders who often visit the hospital premises,” maintained the official.

The federal official added that none of the security officials are currently in possession of any ammunition or arms.

An administration official at Pims said that the current demand of prohibited licenses was made to the federal government because of a recent fight between two groups of doctors.

The administration official said that doctors belonging to one group – who came from the outside – broke the property of the federal government during Saturday’s incident at the hospital.

The acting executive director Associate Prof Amjad Chaudhry remarked that security staff could not protect the property including the doctors as they watched the protestors damaging everything coming their way.

The hospital’s management, the official said, had also seen a number of firing incidents in which rival groups fired against each other in the hospital premises, forcing the management to seek the help of Islamabad Police to avert the crisis.

“These are the few reasons which forced us to write to the government to arrest the declining security situation at the hospital,” maintained the official.

When approached the executive director of Pims Prof Riaz Ahmed Warraich told Dawn: “A request has been placed with the federal government to expedite the process of issuance of licenses for prohibited bore arms and ammunition.”

Prof Warraich said that the current move would help us ensure the security of over 2,000 health staff working within the premises of the hospital, including the legislators and judiciary visiting the hospital on a daily basis.

The executive director said that over 5,000 Out Door Patients (OPD) also visit the hospital which shows that this leading public hospital needs stringent security arrangements.

The hospital, he said, would also train its staff through Islamabad Police, so they would be able to handle loaded weapons.

“I have already ordered the engineering department to install Close Circuit Television Cameras at all the entry and exit points and funds for this initiative will be generated with the help of philanthropists,” said Prof Warraich.

The newly appointed executive director pointed out that to expand the wireless communication system of the security staff, they would install a large scale tower to bail out the security staff from immediate technical difficulties.

It is pertinent to mention that hospital’s wireless system is almost outdated and the communication system often goes out of order during rains.

Meanwhile, the secretary CAD Ms Riffat Shaheen Qazi has ordered an enquiry into the brawl of two groups of doctors and appointed a senior joint secretary, a deputy secretary of the ministry to probe into the matter.

“I have asked the probe committee to submit the report in one week and action will be taken as per the law against those who damaged federal government’s property and disturbed the government’s routine working,” Ms Qazi told Dawn.

The secretary said that security officials have also reported to the federal government that few protestors entered one operation theater and asked the doctor to stop the procedure and leave the patient unattended.

“This is horrifying and the federal government is very serious about patient care and the matter needs to be addressed seriously,” said secretary of the ministry.