Govt decides to urgently address shortage of engineering, technical staff at Pims

The federal government has taken urgent action to address the shortage of engineering and technical staff at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) following a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 14 infants. The decision came after a meeting chaired by Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, which brought together senior officials from various departments, including the health ministry, Pims administration, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Kamal was briefed on the status of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system at Pims' Mother and Child Health Centre, which was severely affected by the fire. The CDA officials revealed that the HVAC system work had been disrupted due to the temporary closure of the building as part of an investigation into the incident.

In response to the crisis, Kamal instructed the health secretary to contact the relevant authorities and finalize a timeline for returning the affected building to enable restoration work to proceed without delay. Moreover, Kamal directed the utilization of suitable engineers and technical experts from the surplus pool created after the abolition of the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) to tackle the staffing shortage at Pims.

The health ministry also pledged to write to the Ministry of Housing and Works for deploying additional engineers, technical experts, and other relevant personnel at the hospital.

Furthermore, the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) has commenced a thorough assessment of the hospital's facilities and services, in line with prescribed standards. IHRA technical experts visited Pims as part of the evaluation, examining various departments, including clinical, surgical, medical, radiology, and administrative units.

The IHRA team will provide recommendations to enhance Pims' performance, elevate service standards, and modernize the hospital. Health Minister Kamal emphasized that strengthening the technical workforce is crucial to guaranteeing uninterrupted and safe healthcare services for patients and newborns.