The capital’s administration is segregating management of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from its attached medical institution, the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU).
It, however, will continue as a teaching hospital for SZABMU.
Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the National Assembly on Tuesday that a summary for segregating the hospital from the university has been approved by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The summary has now been sent to the Law division to draft the required amendments in the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University Act 2013. Once the Law division completes working on this summary and make the necessary changes, a bill will be moved in the lower house for amending the existing law.
National Assembly Member (MNA) Nasir Khan Khattak had moved the bill in the lower house to allow medical colleges in other parts of the province to become affiliated with the university. But, during debate on the bill, the subject of alleged mismanagement at PIMS by SZABMU’s administration came up.
Chaudhry explained that keeping in view the complaints from different quarters, the ministry had already moved a summary to the premier to amend the legislation and that this summary had been approved.
Replying to questions by members, the minister said that after the 18th amendment, PIMS administration had been assigned to the CADD ministry. However, thousands of employees of the hospital had reservations on converting the hospital into a university. Moreover, there were certain problems in managing the administration of both PIMS and the university. Hence the decision was made to delink the hospital’s administration from that of the varsity.
Under the new proposal, the CADD minister said that PIMS would be headed by an executive director, while the university’s affairs would continue to be looked after by its vice-chancellor.
Despite their administration being segregated from SZABMU, Chaudhry said PIMS will continue to function as the varsity’s teaching hospital.
The minister also rejected the notion that the land mafia was active on PIMS land or any illegal buildings were being built.
“Other than a Burns Center, Mother Child Healthcare Center, Pathology Center and a new emergency, no construction activity was being carried out on the hospital land,” he said.
About affiliation of colleges, the minister said, all colleges in provinces are affiliated to their respective provincial universities and if any college requires affiliation with SZABMU, it will have to first seek a no-objection certificate from the University for its affiliation.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on headless institutions was told that SZABMU Vice Chancellor Javed Akram was acting as the hospital’s executive director. The court, however, had directed that the hospital’s administration could not be run by the SZABMU’s vice chancellor.