The Computed Tomography (CT) scan machine of the largest hospital of the federal capital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) is lying out of order since long and the patients of emergency wards are forced to use private laboratories for this purpose.
It is no less than an irony that the only ultra sound machine of this hospital had not been functioning to its full capacity and the patients have been put on waiting lists spanning over several weeks to undergo tests.
According to sources, several doctors affiliated with the PIMS were forcing the poor patients to undergo CT scan test in private laboratories of their choice as they were pocketing heavy commission in this lucrative business.
The PIMS administration had been playing with the sentiments of the patients as they were giving a one-month period to patients for ultra sound test and a free ultra sound test was no less than a nightmare for the poor patients.
Talking to agencies, a patient named Ali Muhammad Khan said the PIMS administration had miserably failed to sort out the problems being faced by the patients. The concept of providing facilities to patients was nonexistent in the hospital and only lip service was being provided in connection with cleanliness work.
Furthermore, patients were being treated as second rate citizens in the emergency ward of the hospital, he complained.
He further said that a doctor of the PIMS had referred him to a private laboratory for a CT scan and he was surprised to see that the CT scan consultant was not available in the said laboratory and instead a technician was working in place of a doctor.
Another patient Junaid Shamshad said that a doctor from the PIMS referred him to the respective section of this hospital for an ultra sound test on Thursday. He was given the date of January 10, 2013 for this test by the section concerned. This was concrete evidence of the ineptness on the part of the management of the largest hospital of Islamabad, he regretted.
He demanded of the Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division, Nazar Muhammad Gondal to play his due role in addressing the problems of the patients visiting the PIMS.