ISLAMABAD: Around 900 posts in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have not been filled for many years, causing problems for patients at the crowded hospital, Daily Times has learnt. According to the available information, Basic Pay Scale-17 vacant posts at the hospital are: dieticians, assistant electronic medical engineers, assistant engineers, medical officers, assistant anesthetists, assistant dental surgeons, pharmacists, physiotherapist, head nurses, nursing supervisors, medical officers, cardiology and cardiac surgeons, perfusionists, nutritionists, assistant electro medical engineers, hardware engineers and social welfare officers. Beside this, 11 principal technicians of BPS-17 are required for various laboratories and sections, including the Pathology Lab, the Radiology Section, Physiotherapy Section, Operation Theaters, Anesthesia and in the Pharmacy. The hospital also required 14 chief technicians in BPS-16 in its various sections including the Pathology Lab, Radiology, Cardiology, Physiotherapy, Operation Theater, Anesthesia, Sterilisation and Pharmacy sections. The information suggests that the institute also faces a shortage of 191 charge nurses. It also faces a shortage of senior MRI technologists, bio medical engineers, instructors, ECG supervisors, senior lab technologists and stenographers. Beside the above mentioned posts, the hospital also needs other employees, including stenotypists, statistical assistants, draftsmen, sub engineers, medical record keepers, assistant librarians, catalogers, sanitary inspectors, data entry operators (DEOs), computer operators, projectionists, receptionists, telephone operators, cashiers and lower division clerks (LDCs). Requesting anonymity, a PIMS official said that an average of 7,000 to 9,000 patients arrived daily in the hospital for treatment in its emergency section, out patient department (OPD) and children’s ward. “Currently, the hospital has around 2,000 employees, including medical and paramedical staff. This is not enough to deal with the number of patients that visit the hospital,” he said. Last month, the nursing staff of PIMS had staged a demonstration to protest against staff shortage. They had said that staff shortage had increased their workload. “The government also does not pay anything in return for the extra services,” they had said. According to these nurses, they had to look after 30 to 40 patients in the general ward every day. Internationally, a nurse usually looks after eight patients. Likewise, there should be one nurse for one patient in critical care. “However, each nurse is looking after eight critical patients in the intensive care units,” the protesters had said. Moreover, the hospital has also halted the process of hiring new staff. Last year, it had initiated the process of inducting 250 nurses and some other medical and paramedical staff. The management had also conducted a test under Open Testing Service (OTS). However, the interviews were later cancelled. An official privy to the matter said that the PIMS administration had intentionally delayed filling up vacant posts after employees’ unions had expressed concerns over their status. PIMS is attached to the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). In a letter, a copy of which is available with Daily Times, the Establishment Division (ED) had ordered the merger of PIMS into Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU). According to the letter, newly-appointed employees were to be considered as temporary employees. “All official matters of PIMS will be dealt under the supervision of the university [SZABMU]. The employees who will be appointed under OTS are considered contract employees of the university,” reads the letter. “Following the directions from ED, the unions’ representatives then requested CADD and PIMS to suspend the interview,” the official said. When contacted, SZABMU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram admitted that the process of hiring new staff had been halted. He, however, said that the appointments had not been cancelled. “They have been stopped temporarily and the process will hopefully be resumed in coming week,” he said. Published in Daily Times, July 3rd , 2017.