Who Is the New PIMS Executive Director?

News Desk

Islamabad: Newly appointed Executive Director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Dr Muhammad Salman, has taken charge with a pledge to address administrative and patient-care issues while developing a strategy to prevent a recurrence of recent incidents at the country’s major public-sector hospital.

Soon after assuming office, Dr Salman convened a meeting with heads of various PIMS departments, along with senior officers and directors of the hospital administration, to review the institution’s challenges and priorities.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, the new executive director said efforts would be made to resolve outstanding issues in light of recommendations contained in inquiry committee reports.

His remarks come amid questions over the handling and public release of an inquiry report into the PIMS nursery tragedy. Despite directions from the prime minister, the report has yet to be uploaded to the Ministry of Health’s website, raising concerns about transparency surrounding the incident.

Dr. Salman said patient safety would be given particular attention, while measures would be introduced to improve the quality and speed of medical services.

He acknowledged that PIMS had witnessed two recent incidents and said an effective strategy would be developed to address weaknesses exposed by such cases and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The executive director also pointed to the hospital’s exceptionally high patient load, saying additional measures would be considered to improve services for the large number of people seeking treatment at PIMS.

He added that discussions would be held with the Ministry of Health to explore ways of strengthening facilities and improving patient care.

The new administration’s immediate challenge will be to translate these commitments into practical reforms at a hospital that serves a large share of patients from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding areas.