PM Shehbaz takes notice of inoperative angiography unit at PIMS

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has taken strict notice of the non-functionality of the CT coronary angiography facility at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad and constituted a high-level inquiry committee to fix responsibility.

The prime minister directed the panel to conduct a comprehensive probe into all aspects of the matter, determine facts, identify responsible officials, and submit its findings at the earliest.

The committee will be chaired by the secretary of the Establishment Division. Its members include secretary, National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Division,  Brig. Dr. Jehanzeb Ali (Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology - AFIC), Dr. Nusratullah Chaudhry, Prof. Dr. Nadeem Hayat Malik, Brig. (retd) Dr. Azmat Hayat (PIMS) and Umar Farooq (CT Angio Technician, AFIC).

The committee has also been authorised to co-opt any additional member as required, with the National Health Services Division providing administrative support during the inquiry.

The panel will evaluate whether PIMS possessed the technical capacity to conduct CT coronary angiograms since 2022, and assess the availability of required technical equipment, human resources, and software.

It will scrutinise all hospital records, including the exact number, dates, and nature of procedures performed at PIMS since 2022. The probe will also examine the referral mechanism and coordination between the hospital’s cardiology and radiology departments.

Crucially, the committee will investigate allegations of whether patients were routinely redirected to private diagnostic centres, whether specific private facilities were favored, and the total revenue diverted away from the public hospital.

The prime minister emphasised that further action will be initiated strictly in accordance with the law once the committee submits its final report.