PIMS denies CT Scan failure after Imran Khan’s heart test was not conducted

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the hospital administration said the CT machine installed in 2022 “remains functional” and continues to provide

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has rejected reports that its CT scanning facility was unavailable after former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan was unable to undergo a recommended heart scan during his recent visit to the hospital.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the hospital administration said the CT machine installed in 2022 “remains functional” and continues to provide diagnostic services.

Imran, who is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail, was taken to Pims last week for an eye-related procedure and other medical examinations. Doctors had reportedly recommended a CT coronary angiography (CTA), a diagnostic test used to examine the coronary arteries and identify possible blockages. However, the test was not performed before he was returned to jail.

The development prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an inquiry into reports that the required facility at Pims was not operational. An inquiry committee was subsequently constituted to establish the facts surrounding the missed examination.

Pims clarified that medical imaging procedures are carried out according to clinical assessments, specialist recommendations, patient-safety requirements and established medical protocols. The administration also cautioned against interpreting the use or non-use of a particular imaging procedure outside its medical context.

A senior Pims doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said approximately a dozen CT coronary angiographies had been performed at the hospital before the latest statement was issued.

The controversy has also intensified demands from PTI leaders for Imran to be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The Supreme Court had directed on August 18 that he be shifted to the facility.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has questioned why the recommended examination was not carried out. He said a government-appointed medical board examined Imran on August 10, while a Pims cardiologist had recommended the cardiac scan earlier due to reported fluctuations in blood pressure, palpitations, headaches and restlessness, along with concerns related to his age and prolonged incarceration.

Akram alleged that the test was considered medically necessary but was not conducted when Imran was brought to Pims. He further claimed that hospital officials cited the unavailability of the facility despite the presence of a functioning CT scanner.

The conflicting accounts have placed renewed attention on Imran’s medical care and the circumstances surrounding the recommended cardiac examination, with the government-ordered inquiry expected to clarify whether the test was withheld for medical reasons or because of an operational issue.