NA Body Advised to Fill Vacancies in PIMS on Contract Basis

Islamabad: On Thursday, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSR&C) advised the federal government to hire paramedical staff, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff for vacant positions at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on at least a three-year contract basis.

In order to better serve patients and increase hospital efficiency, the committee meeting, presided over by Chairperson Dr Muhammad Afzal Dhandla, suggested that PIMS and the Federal Government Polyclinic hospital should request a rebate on their electricity bills from the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).

The committee was informed that the PIMS hospital has been struggling with a 1,114-post shortage for the past 15 years, including doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.

The committee members had already visited the hospital’s several departments, including the Cardiac Center, Mother and Child Care Ward, and OPD; and they had looked at the medical facilities available to visitors.

The committee members were briefed by PIMS Dean Dr RizwanTaj on the performance of hospital and the opening of a new research and training facility for enhancing paramedical staff members’ communication abilities in order to provide patients with a welcoming environment at the hospital.

Dr Muhammad Afzal thanked the PIMS management for the creative measures the hospital is doing and stated that doing so will make it easier to provide patients with essential healthcare services.

PIMS Director Dr Khalid Masood apprised the committee that the hospital has allocated 1,350 beds to accommodate the patients, adding that “the hospital administration is making sure to allocate additional beds for new patients, despite the serious scarcity of beds caused by the dengue outbreak.” APP