Another experiment to govern PIMS perishes

Islamabad : Envisioned to promote good governance at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the Board of Governors (BoG) constituted under the now lapsed Medical Teaching Institutes (MTI) Ordinance has become part of history, with no constructive work to its credit during a tenure spanning eight months.

Elated health workers Wednesday observed ‘Salvation Day’ at PIMS, which has reverted to its erstwhile status of being an attached department of the federal government. They celebrated their victory with a prayer and distribution of sweets.

The celebration was arranged by the Federal Grand Health Alliance and its constituent organisations including YDA, YCA, as well as associations of nurses, paramedics, and non-gazette staff, who called off their strike later in the evening after a round of successful negotiations with Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan. The workers had been protesting both against non-payment of the special risk allowance announced to recognise their efforts in the fight against Covid-19, as well as against implementation of MTI.

The health workers urged the Prime Minister not to reattempt the implementation of a ‘failed system’ totally unacceptable to them, and to immediately appoint an Executive Director for smooth administration and management of the capital’s largest tertiary care hospital.

The BoG’s performance is tainted by a 72-day health workers’ protest—that too when the COVID pandemic was at its peak. When the government introduced the MTI Act, its objective was to foster good governance at PIMS. However, despite the lapse of eight months, the BoG failed to fulfill even the most basic requirements of its presence i.e., framing and printing of rules and regulations, and having the existing health staff exercise the option of either retaining their civil servant status or joining MTI.

After 72 days of strike, the BoG-appointed hospital administrator resigned because of the uncertain policies of the Board. Throughout these past eight months, the BoG busied itself in micromanagement of the hospital, rather than enforcement of financial discipline or creation of a mechanism for issuing staff salaries or generating money for maintenance of the hospital, leave along incurring any kind of development expenditure. The BoG was totally clueless about how to manage the huge hospital.

For now, the draft act of MTI has been rejected by the Senate Standing Committee on Health and has been sent back to the National Assembly to be included in the list of 21 legislations being reviewed by a committee constituted by the Speaker of the National Assembly. The same matter is also sub judice with the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court.