Rs22 billion PIMS spending under scrutiny after deadly nursery fire

Questions over the use of Rs22 billion given to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) over the last three years,

Islamabad:  Questions over the use of Rs22 billion given to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) over the last three years, 24 allegedly fake house job certificates issued to doctors and the action taken against those responsible for the deadly nursery fire dominated a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services on Wednesday.

The committee demanded an audit report showing how the Rs22 billion was spent, asking why serious safety problems remained at the hospital despite the large amount of public money provided to it.

MNA Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro raised questions why 15 or 16 babies were present in the old nursery when a new 200 bed Mother and Child Hospital had been established.

The committee also questioned the handling of employees named in the inquiry. Officials told members that the initial inquiry identified seven people, while a later report added one more name, bringing the total to eight.

The Ministry of Health said the employees had been suspended and removed from their jobs. It had also sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior, handing the matter over to it for further action.

However, members were not satisfied with the explanation. Dr Shazia Soomro argued that suspending employees was not enough and demanded to know what action had been taken against those responsible for the incident.

Officials said the Health Ministry had completed its assigned work and that further action was now the responsibility of the Interior Ministry. The committee decided to seek a written report from the Interior Ministry to establish what had happened to the eight people named in the inquiry.

The meeting also exposed conflicting statements about the implementation of recommendations made after the PIMS incident.

The Ministry of Health claimed that all 34 recommendations had been fully implemented at its end. However, the PIMS Executive Director initially told the committee that around 17 of the 34 recommendations had been achieved.

This difference raised questions about how progress was being measured and why the committee had not received a clear, point by point report.

The committee asked the ministry to prepare a simple written document explaining each of the 34 recommendations and the action taken on it. Members said they wanted clear evidence of work completed instead of lengthy presentations and general explanations.

The Health Ministry said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally reviewing progress every two weeks. Officials also said the government had formed an oversight committee led by General Kayani, with the PIMS Executive Director among its members.

The ministry reported that around 2,000 PIMS employees had received training in fire safety, emergency response and evacuation procedures. Officials said patient safety, fire safety and other hospital safety measures had also been addressed.

But members stressed that staff training and improvements to hospital buildings could not replace accountability for the original incident.

Another serious issue raised during the meeting concerned 24 doctors who allegedly received fake house job certificates and were now practising in other areas.

Dr Shazia Soomro asked the PIMS Executive Director to provide the names and complete details of these doctors, including where they were currently working. The allegation raised concerns about the verification of medical qualifications and the possible risks to patients. The committee sought a written response from PIMS.

Dr Shazia also questioned the case of a Grade 16 employee who was reportedly suspended but later granted early retirement with benefits and privileges. She asked the hospital to explain the legal and administrative basis for granting retirement benefits after the employee had been suspended.

The committee placed these questions on the agenda for a written response at its next meeting.

Dr Shazia Soomro also pointed out that the PIMS incident had occurred in August and that two months had passed without the committee receiving satisfactory details of the action taken. She said members were seeking evidence of action rather than repeated assurances.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal defended the ministry’s handling of the inquiry. He said the ministry had followed the recommendations and that no action assigned to it remained pending.

The minister also described the government’s plan to reform PIMS. A separate reform committee has recommended giving the hospital greater administrative and financial freedom, appointing a chief executive officer from the market and giving more powers to its departments.

Under the proposed system, existing employees would keep their current jobs, benefits and retirement rights. However, new employees hired as existing staff retire would be recruited on market based contracts under different terms and conditions.

A draft law to support these reforms has been prepared by a committee that includes the Law Minister, Health Minister, Secretary Establishment, Secretary Health and private sector experts. It is expected to be presented to the prime minister.

Officials said the reform plan would divide PIMS into six main components, including the Mother and Child Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Cardiac Centre and Islamabad Hospital. Each component would have its own head, who would report to the proposed chief executive officer.

The committee also raised concerns about the registration and licensing work of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority. Officials said the authority had started registration and issuing licences, but members questioned the process because its board had not yet been formed and the required signatures were missing.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal disclosed another problem within the ministry, saying that 10 secretaries had been changed during the last 16 months. He said frequent changes were affecting the ministry’s work and that the appointment and transfer of secretaries were not under his direct control.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, and attended by Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the PIMS Executive Director, Secretary Health Momin Ali Agha and other officials.

The committee directed PIMS to provide written answers on the Rs22 billion spending, the 24 allegedly fake house job certificates and the early retirement benefits given to the suspended employee. It also sought a clear, point by point account of the 34 recommendations and a report from the Interior Ministry on action against the eight people named in the inquiry.