ISLAMABAD: In a bid to facilitate patients at The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Federal Ombudsman, M Salman Faruqui, has directed the country’s largest hospital’s administration to ensure provision of free of cost medicines to patients from March 24. The Mohtasib expressed confidence that if the recommendations of the Ombudsman Committee on PIMS reforms are implemented in true letter and spirit the institute would become a role model for the whole country. He said this while chairing a high level meeting to review the implementation on recommendations of the Ombudsman’s Committee on PIMS reforms. Salman Faruqui directed the PIMS administration that provision of free of cost medicines to patients was an important issue which should be resolved and gave a deadline of March 24 for this purpose. Briefing the meeting, Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokhar, Senior Advisor to the Wafaqi Mohtasib said that the committee gave 50 suggestions for the betterment of the hospital which should be implemented as soon as possible. He apprised the meeting that currently 901 vacancies were lying vacant in the hospital and suggested that if these posts are filled properly most of the issues could be resolved amicably.