The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) administration declined the offer of Rangers for increasing security of the hospital due to lack of funds, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
Sources in the hospital told Pakistan Today that a Rangers’ inspection team visited the largest public hospital of the federal capital few days ago and offered setting up two bunkers in the hospital and pickets atop of the hospital.
They said that the Rangers are more concerned about the security and are ready to facilitate the hospital administration in this regard by providing more personnel to guard the hospital.
However, they said that the PIMS admin declined the offer because the hospital does not have enough funds to set up check posts and pickets for Rangers in the hospital.
A check post has been set up for police alongside emergency of the hospital where four to five police personnel will be deployed. However, there is no police man and only officials of Rescue 15 could be seen there.
A senior official in the hospital requesting anonymity said that the PIMS admin requested the police repeatedly to provide personnel for the hospital security but to no good.
He said that the strength of PIMS own security personnel is around 100 who are neither well-trained nor well-equipped, besides there is personnel of security company which, he said, is not enough to deal with the challenging security situation.
He said that out of the total, around 80 are deployed at the main campus, while CMH and burn centre are provided very few security guards and even several sensitive areas are left unguarded.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) PIMS Vice Chancellor Javed Akram, when contacted, claimed that there is no shortage of funds and the Rangers may come to office in the morning and the funds would be released.
Later, he said that a tender has already been issued for the construction of bunkers for Rangers and funds would be released accordingly. However, he said, the process would take 15 days.
Karachi Company Station House Officer (SHO) Mubarak Ali did not contradict the report but refused to comment on it.
A private security official at PIMS said that if there are no sufficient police or army personnel to be deployed in the hospital, the PIMS own security personnel and the private security company must be given proper training for handling weapons.
He said that the Interior Ministry who is mainly responsible for security should take notice of the issue as who to be blamed if a tragic incident like Quetta’s Civil Hospital happens here.