ISLAMABAD – Several senior doctors of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a major hospital of the capital city, have visited foreign countries without taking ex-Pakistan leave or the letter containing ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from the hospital’s Executive Director Mehmood Jamal.
These doctors have gone an extra mile by showing their absence from their offices on medical grounds, and in some cases, there are fake attendances as well. The doctors who have gone to other countries in negation of prescribed rules and regulations include heads of various departments like Iqbal Saifullah (Cardiology), Ayesha Esani (Radiology) who went abroad 14 times without any approval from the competent authority, Imran Sikandar (Orthopedics) and Tashfeen (Stomach and Liver) besides Shahid (cardiologist), Tabish Hazir (child specialist) and Shazia Farooqi (radiologist).
A source in PIMS told Pakistan Today that the administration had taken a strict notice of the matter and issued show-cause notices to these doctors. “However, they are very influential and the higher government authorities have stopped the PIMS administration from taking any stern action against them,” he said. “The PIMS management has submitted complaints to the higher authorities about these doctors with all the relevant information such as those related to immigration and hotel reservations etc,” he added.
The source said a medical officer at the Radiology Department officially requested the federal secretary Health to conduct an inquiry and to take disciplinary action for financial irregularities and procedural violations allegedly committed by Dr Ayesha Esani, Assistant Professor of Radiology, but that too proved to be a futile exercise.”
Health Director General Asad Hafeez, when contacted, said, “I am not the right person to comment on the issue and anyone in the ministry or the administration side should be contacted.”
