Another crisis creeps up at Pims as free medicine supply to inpatients likely to be discontinued

Islamabad, Pakistan - The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is facing a looming crisis due to procurement issues that could lead to the discontinuation of free medicines for inpatients and other essential items. A senior hospital officer revealed that no tenders have been signed in the past six weeks, causing a rapid depletion of stocks.

Executive Director Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, who assumed his role recently, vowed to take zero tolerance towards ensuring patient care. A hospital doctor, speaking anonymously, expressed concern over the slow progress of tender approvals, attributing it to changes in leadership and the absence of an Executive Director. A finance department officer explained that the Federal Board of Revenue only accepts authorized signatures, and the process of authorizing new signatures can take up to two weeks following officer changes.

While some stocks are available, hospital officials are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.