PIMS' hotels, cafes fleecing people by overcharging

Hotels and cafes at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) are fleecing people by overcharging the customers besides serving substandard food items. Hundreds of people coming to PIMS from across the country for treatment and take meal from these hotels to save their time and money but expensive meal inside the hospital premises hotels are also fleecing the public specially the patients and relatives.
An attendant of a patient Kamran Khan said that it is unfair that these huts owners are fleecing poor people with both hands and also selling substandard food items. He alleged that the concerned authorities were giving no heed to the plight of the customers. "The quality of food items are not also satisfactory while they over-charging on their own", he remarked.
The hotels are overcharging despite the warnings of the authorities concerned of strict action against the profiteers. Muhammad Khan an another attendant of a patient at PIMS, complained, he went to buy a mineral water and to my surprise, the shopkeeper charged Rs 5 extra per bottle. He also alleged that there was no check on the prices of foods and other items available in the shops and hotels, he said. Cold drinks were being sold in different markets at Rs 15 per bottle, while at the PIMS its rate was Rs 20 to Rs 25 he claimed.
Shoppers complained that overcharging, sale of substandard food items and non-availability of good quality items, while the authorities concerned have failed to keep a check on the quality and rates of the commodities. Shoppers demanded of the authorities concerned to take action against the violators. An official of the concerned department when contacted said that the authorities check the prices on regular basis and also taking the strict action in case of any malpractice.