PIMS tragedy: Doctors seek permanent Gynecology heads, audit

ISLAMABAD: The deaths of 14 newborns at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have triggered fresh demands for structural reforms, with doctors from the Gynecology and Children’s Departments urging Parliament to ensure permanent leadership in all Gynecology units and order an independent forensic audit of the hospital’s financial affairs.

The demands have emerged ahead of separate emergency meetings of the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on National Health Services scheduled for August 31, 2026. According to official documents obtained by Minute Mirror, the Senate committee is scheduled to visit PIMS at noon, while the National Assembly committee will convene at 2pm at Parliament House.

In their written submission to the parliamentary committees, PIMS doctors drew attention to what they described as a significant leadership gap within the Gynecology Department. The department has four units, but only Unit 1 currently has a permanent professor serving as unit head. Units 2, 3 and 4, according to the doctors, have been operating without permanent BS-20 professors.

The doctors maintained that the absence of permanent leadership does not, by itself, establish a direct link to the newborn deaths. However, they argued that a hospital department dealing with a heavy patient burden requires a clearly defined chain of command, responsibility and accountability, particularly during emergencies.

They have called for eligible BS-20 professors to be appointed as heads of all four units through a transparent, merit-based process and through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).

The doctors also questioned why the Surgery Department has permanent heads for all four of its units while the Gynecology Department, despite its substantial patient load, continues to operate without permanent leadership in three units.

They have further sought an independent examination of administrative decisions concerning the restructuring of Gynecology and the implementation of recommendations associated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Questions have also been raised over the legal and administrative authority under which major policy decisions were allegedly taken by a single head of department.

Although Dr Shamaela has reportedly been given temporary responsibility for Gynecology, the doctors argued that temporary arrangements cannot provide a lasting solution for a department serving thousands of patients.

Alongside the demand for permanent leadership, the doctors have called for a comprehensive third-party forensic audit of PIMS finances. They want the review to cover the hospital’s budgets and expenditures, procurement procedures, tenders, purchases of medicines and medical equipment, service contracts and decisions taken by relevant committees over several years.

According to the doctors, an independent audit would help determine whether financial irregularities, avoidable expenditure or violations of procurement rules occurred. They stressed, however, that any allegation of wrongdoing should only be confirmed after a complete examination of official records.

The issue will now come under parliamentary scrutiny. A Senate Secretariat notice issued on August 27 states that the committee will examine the deaths of children at PIMS, with particular focus on the adequacy of medical, pediatric and emergency services, compliance with medical protocols, administrative shortcomings and the institution’s response to the incident.

The Senate committee is headed by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, with Senators Anusha Rahman, Rubina Khalid, Azam Swati and other members participating in the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services will hold its 42nd meeting to receive a detailed briefing from the Ministry of National Health Services regarding the recent fire at the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre at PIMS. The committee, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, is also expected to examine the inquiry report and its findings.

The Ministry of Health has already taken action against several officials following the inquiry into the fire, but doctors maintain that disciplinary measures alone will not address the deeper institutional weaknesses at PIMS.

Concerns have also been raised over the effective implementation of facilities and systems established with assistance from JICA. Doctors contend that the administrative and academic arrangements envisioned for the Gynecology Department have not been fully implemented.

The parliamentary proceedings are therefore expected to go beyond the immediate circumstances surrounding the deaths and fire, with broader questions about institutional governance, leadership, financial oversight and patient safety likely to come under discussion.

At the heart of the doctors’ concerns is a fundamental question: when command structures are unclear in critical departments of a major public hospital, who ultimately bears responsibility when an emergency occurs?

The two committees are expected to assess existing corrective measures and recommend reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, improving patient care and preventing similar incidents at PIMS in the future.