- Sources say block’s inauguration is being delayed to gain political mileage close to general elections
Inauguration of the newly-built emergency block at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) is getting delayed for the last few months because of ‘busy schedule’ of prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, clearly indicating the government’s non-seriousness.
Sources in PIMS hospital told Pakistan Today that the work on the newly-built emergency block had been completed five months ago, but it could not be inaugurated because of Maryam Nawaz’s tight schedule, as she has no spare time to unveil the plaque of the block.
They said that owing to inadequate services at old emergency unit, patients, a large number of whom belonged to remote areas, were facing great hardships, but the ruling junta are not bothered.
“It is really absurd that patient have been suffering because of Maryam Nawaz’s lethargic attitude, who does not even qualify to inaugurate this new block. The only advantage she has is that she is the PM’s daughter,” sources said, adding that the Emergency Block would not open in the recent future because Islamabad would be closed due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s Islamabad blockade.
They claimed that the government was intentionally delaying the opening of the new emergency block and wanted to inaugurate it sometime around the general elections to gain political mileage.
However, a senior doctor in the hospital on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that there were a number of factors that were delaying the inauguration of the new block.
He said it was true that Maryam Nawaz was taking great interest in health and education issues in the beginning but now she was more concerned about running the affairs of PM House.
The doctor said apart from the delay caused by Maryam’s schedule, serious questions had also been raised regarding the block’s building and place of construction. He also said the hospital was already short of staff and no arrangement had been made to recruit new staff for the new block.
Talking to Pakistan Today, family members of patients who were sitting in large number under sky, demanded of the concerned quarters to immediately open the newly-built Emergency Block as it would help ease their problems to some extent.
They said since the work had been completed long ago, it was beyond comprehension why it was not opened.
An irate patient, Javed Abbasi, alleged that Imran Khan was right in saying that Nawaz Sharif was running the country like a personal fiefdom, adding that if Maryam had no time someone else should open the block.
He said that few days ago, Nawaz Sharif burst into tears while talking about health issues of Pakistan but it was obvious that he did not feel the same way otherwise the Emergency Block would have been opened long ago.
“No one can be blamed for the sad state of affairs of Health Department because the PM is directly involved,” he said.
Talal Nawaz, another patient, said there was a dearth of medicines and staff as well, apart from hospital beds and rooms. Therefore, he demanded that the government should address the issue on war-footing and deploy sufficient staff, including medical and para-medical staff.
Despite repeated attempts and text messages, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry could not be reached for his comments on the issue.
The cell phone of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University’s (SZABMU) Vice Chancellor Prof Javed Akram was switched off.
PIMS spokesperson Dr Ayesha was also unavailable for comments.
