ISLAMABAD: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has penned a letter to the Federal Ombudsman (FO), urging action on rule violations and systemic issues within the hospital.

The letter, available with Dawn, expresses gratitude for the recent visit of the FO’s team and their concern for patient welfare and healthcare improvements at the capital’s largest tertiary care teaching hospital. The letter alleges that Pims has deteriorated into a failing institution, exacerbating the suffering of impoverished patients from far-flung areas seeking treatment.

“The young doctors have repeatedly raised their voices for improvement in the heathcare facility and academics because its the young doctors, the postgraduate residents, the medical officers and house officers along with nursing staff who work round the clock providing services with limited resources in this collapsed system. We have been persecuted, bullied and harassed for speaking up, young doctors have also received fresh threats from administration after the visit of honourable ombudsman,” the letter stated.

The YDA staged a protest demanding the removal of the executive director (ED) during the visit of the FO’s team to Pims. The hospital administration condemned the act, accusing YDA of exploiting the visit for personal gains instead of addressing patient issues.

Regarding environmental issues, the letter referred to an order of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) environmental protection tribunal in January 2018 for the Pims administration to acquire an incinerator for handling and disposing hospital waste within two months.

“Hospital management failed to upgrade the system for handling the hospital waste. The tribunal levied a Rs 1 million penalty in contempt of the proceedings. Finally, an incinerator was installed at the hospital at a cost of Rs 51.2 million the same year. However, in January 2023 reports surfaced that medical waste at the Pims ends up in Islamabad’s black market for reuse,” it stated.

“In July 2022 a pregnant woman died after she was administered spinal anesthesia during delivery. The health of three other pregnant women also deteriorated after the same spinal anesthesia, patients became critical and remained in ICU. It was alleged that the syringes were infected. The position of ED Pims is occupied on ‘look after charge basis’ akin to ‘acting charge’ since 18th April 2023 and [ED] cannot make any policy decisions but only manage the day to day affairs of the office as ordered by the honourable Islamabad High Court,” the letter stated.

“In 2015, then honourable ombudsman, on his own motion, under Article 28(2) of the Establishment of the Office of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman)’s Order 1983 constituted a committee to conduct a thorough study of the quality of services, infrastructure and security in the institution and to make recommendations for smooth, effective and efficient functioning of the institution in accordance with the objectives for which it was established. After thorough evaluation and consultation the committee’s report titled ‘Transforming Pims Islamabad into a Leading Centre of Excellence’ was submitted to then prime minister of Pakistan for consideration and implementation. We request the Ombudsman to consider the above mentioned facts and revisit the previous report of the committee for the pressing issues of Pims,” the letter urged.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2024