ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to immediately address the shortage of engineering and technical staff at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with a particular focus on restoring essential systems at the hospital’s Mother and Child Health Centre.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal, attended by the Additional Secretary Health, PIMS administration and relevant officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The meeting reviewed technical issues and the restoration of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system at the Mother and Child Health Centre following a recent fire incident.
CDA officials briefed the meeting that HVAC-related work at the affected building had been disrupted following the fire. The building is currently temporarily closed as investigations into the incident continue.
Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal directed the Health Secretary to immediately coordinate with the relevant authorities to address the issue.
He also ordered that a timeline be finalised for handing over the affected building so that restoration work on the HVAC system at the Mother and Child Health Centre could resume without further delay.
The health minister said suitable engineers and technical experts from the surplus pool created following the abolition of the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) would be considered for deployment at PIMS.
He said the Ministry of Housing and Works was being approached to facilitate the appointment of suitable engineers and technical personnel at the hospital.
Mustafa Kamal directed that available engineers, technical experts and other relevant staff in the surplus pool be deployed at PIMS to help address the hospital’s shortage of technical manpower.
He said additional technical staff would strengthen PIMS’s capacity to maintain essential hospital infrastructure and support the uninterrupted delivery of healthcare services.
The federal minister emphasised that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure safe and quality medical care for patients and newborn babies at the hospital.