Daily Times

The federal government has decided to hand over administrative control of several hospitals in Islamabad to the district administration.

According to sources, the hospitals include Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMs), Federal General Hospital, National Rehabilitation Center, and Poly Clinic.

Sources revealed that the District Health Office, basic, and rural health centers will also be handed over to the district administration. The transfer of administrative control is expected to take place within a year. A plan for the transfer of administrative control is being prepared by the Ministry of Health and the Islamabad administration. This move is aimed at improving the healthcare services in the capital city, sources added.

Earlier, sources revealed that the Ministry of Health is preparing to outsource the diagnostic lab of the country’s largest government hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMs). Sources close to the development disclosed that preparations underway to initiate the process of running PIMs under a Public-Private Partnership model, with planned that the hospital be outsourced in a ‘phase-wise’ manner. In the initial phase, it is reported that the Department of Radiology and Laboratory Services at PIMS will be outsourced, meanwhile, in the second phase, additional sectors of PIMS are slated for privatization, sources said.

Meanwhile, in the third phase, sources suggested that a decision regarding the utilization of PIMS’ substantial land assets, valued at trillions, is anticipated.