Press Release
Islamabad: Secretary National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C), Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, has emphasized the importance of ensuring the highest standards of healthcare delivery and availability of doctors and medicines in hospitals. He chaired a meeting on administrative, financial and performance appraisal of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The meeting was attended by representatives of M/o NHSR & C and PIM.
The secretary was briefed by PIM officials about the urgent problem of shortage of human resources affecting the performance of the hospital. He also observed that the problem was aggravated by the huge patient load not only from Islamabad but also from other regions across the country. In response, Iftikhar Ali Shallwani directed the PIM administration to speed up the process of recruiting staff to effectively handle the increasing influx of patients.
Furthermore, the secretary was informed that 107 vacant positions for professors, associate professors and assistant professors have already been advertised, and efforts are being made to fill 405 positions for nurses and paramedics.
The Secretary expressed his concerns about disciplinary matters involving doctors. He said private practices by doctors employed by the government should be discouraged. He emphasized the importance of limiting foreign travel on sponsored medical visits. He said doctors should provide affidavits confirming that any foreign visits were personally sponsored. This would ensure accountability and dedication of doctors to their professional duties, he added.
Iftikhar Ali Shallwani instructed the PIM administration to ensure effective healthcare delivery and maintain professional conduct within the medical fraternity. He emphasized the need for consistent enforcement of disciplinary measures within hospital employees. He directed the PIM administration to submit a comprehensive report detailing the action taken against employees found violating disciplinary protocols.
The secretary issued clear instructions to the PIM administration to intensify its efforts to improve the patient’s convenience during the holy month of Ramadan.
