Vacant positions: NA body asks PIMS, ministry to ensure merit-based recruitments

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations, Thursday, directed the administration of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Ministry of National Health Services to ensure merit-based recruitment on various vacant positions at the biggest health facility of the federal capital, PIMS.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations which held its meeting here under the chairmanship of Chairman Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla also directed the administration to ensure promotions of the officers and other staff working at the hospital forthwith.

The standing committee members prior to holding the meeting of the committee also visited all sections of PIMS and was briefed by the senior officials of the hospital on the facilities being provided to the masses and the issues being faced by the hospital.

Chairman committee Muhammad Afzal Dhandla directed the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to fill these vacancies immediately on a short-term basis. He said that at least a three-year contractual period should be announced for all pending seats to serve the patients and improve the efficiency of the hospital. The committee was informed that the PIMS hospital has been facing a shortage of 1,114 posts including doctors, nurses, and other medical staff for the last 15 years. It was further informed that in order to enhance the performance of the hospital there is an immediate need to fill these posts.

The Standing Committee was informed that there are 4,029 sanctioned strength of doctors, charge nurses, paramedics, and other staff, of which, 25 percent posts are vacant. The PIMS authorities informed that Federal Public Service Commission takes 2-3 years for the appointment of doctors as a result the hospital was facing a shortage of staff.

The standing committee noted that more than 200 doctors and other staff members were in the promotion zone but they were not being promoted due to one reason or the other. The panel directed the PIMS administration that all of the doctors, charge nurses, paramedics, and other staff members who qualify to be promoted and the posts are available be promoted forthwith and all other vacant posts should be filled in by direct recruitment on merit.

The committee members also recommended that the posts which are to be filled in through FPSC be filled in on contract basis or daily wages. However, the case for appointment on a permanent basis may be initiated through the FPSC, so that permanent doctors be appointed, on merit, in PIMS and the compliance report be furnished to the Standing Committee.

The committee was informed that PIMS wanted to open OPD in the evening shift because a huge number of patients cannot be completely handled in the morning as the hospital was not only providing health facilities to the people of Islamabad and Rawalpindi but a large number of patients from Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and other parts of the Potohar region were also referred to the hospital. The Committee appreciated the idea and recommended that evening OPD may be started on a priority basis.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022