Pandemonium at PIMS: IHC admits petition against MTI

Islamabad: Pandemonium broke loose at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here Friday as employees protesting against the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Ordinance occupied the Administration Block and chased the former Executive Director Dr. Anser Maxood out of the hospital premises, preventing him from taking charge as the new MTI-appointed Medical Director (MD).

When the MD, who retired from the post of ED a day earlier, attempted to enter the hospital premises, he was forced to leave. The PIMS protestors then gathered in the front lawn, chanting slogans and making hateful speeches against both MTI and Dr. Anser.Later on, at around 11.30 a.m., a police contingent led by Assistant Commissioner Mehreen Baloch cordoned off the Administration Block, enabling Dr. Anser to enter his office under police protection.

When the former ED made it to his office, he called for the administration officers who preferred attending to Emergency and COVID-19 patients while Dr. Anser faced the wrath of protestors in the ED.

Meanwhile, the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) leadership insisted that Dr. Anser leave the hospital by 1 p.m., failing which services from Emergency and COVID-19 patients would also be withdrawn, and the entire responsibility for any loss of lives would rest with the administration.

A little later, Dr. Anser fled for a second time, using the Emergency Department’s exit, with protesters hurling abuses at him and later on celebrating victory.Addressing the protesters, the Chairman of the Federal Grand Health Alliance (FGHA) Dr. Asfandyar Khan urged the government to immediately withdraw the Ordinance. “Do not force us to withdraw Emergency and Covid-19 services,” he warned, confirming Monday’s sit-in at D-Chowk. The FGHA resented the deployment of police at PIMS and warned Dr. Anser not to enter the PIMS again.

“PIMS would have turned into a battle ground, had the GHA leadership not restrained the protestants and requested the District Administration to take Dr. Anser out of PIMS,” FGHA’s Spokesman and Chairman of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Dr. Hyder Abbasi stated. The Vice Chairman of GHA Riaz Gujjar said, all organisations of PIMS are united under the umbrella of GHA. Chaudhry Kashif from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) assured PIMS employees of JI support.

In a related development, the Islamabad High Court admitted a writ petition against MTI and issued notices to Secretary Establishment, Secretary Health, and Chairman MTI. The Attorney General has also been called on January 28—the date of the next hearing.