Pims direly needs funds

Due to the shortage of funds Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), the largest hospital of the capital, is currently facing acute shortage of doctors, medical experts, beds, drugs and modern technology to treat/diagnose visiting patients. Presently there are 198 vacant posts of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other categories in Pims, which needs to be filled.
Dr Abdul Majid Rajput, Executive Director, Pims Wednesday demanded of the sub-committee of the standing committee on health to recommend better career structure for doctors/paramedics and all the staff of Pims.
He said that sufficient funds should be allocated for the institute to ensure better health facilities to the patients. Besides, substantial increase in the salaries of staff is needed so that they could perform in a better way.
Executive Director Pims said that due to increase in the health hazards and terrorist activities there is an urgent need to increase the number of doctors and medical staff.
While briefing media and sub-committee about Pims, Dr Majid Rajput said that total area of Pims is 140 acres, its construction started in 1980 and completed in 1985.
"The total bed strength of Pims is 1041 including Islamabad hospital, children hospital, burn centre and Pims satellite hospital which is not at all sufficient", he said. He said the objective of Pims is to provide tertiary level patient care, to serve as referral hospital, to provide teaching and training to the doctors and other health workers at various levels in the field of medicine, surgery, gynaecology and paediatrics. "The shortage of financial resources along with the medical staff is making difficult to achieve our goals", he maintained.
However, Pims has developed linkages with national and international; agencies including WHO, Unicef, Jica to promote primary health care, research and medical education.
He informed the committee that the OPD patients are increasing day by day and during the year 2007 and 2008, 878622 patients were treated in the OPD, 306253 patients treated in the emergency, 39424 admissions, 23534 surgical procedures, 1820020 pathology tests and 324027 radiology tests were performed. Dr Rajput also informed the committee and media that during the year 2007-2008, 53 cases of dengue fever, 2820 of acute respiratory infection and 3903 cases of pollen allergy were reported.
Total hemophilia patients were 2161,thallasemia 6439 in 2007 -2008. He said during the 2007 and 2008 BCG vaccination was given to 9325 children, 23619 children were administered polio drops, DPT vaccine given to 15271, hepatitis vaccine administered to 15292 and measles vaccine was given to 6473 children. He said there are 92 beds for critically ill patients. He said since 2007 Pims treated 356 bomb blast victims, they were belonged to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Aurakzai agency Di khan and Hangu. The committee was chaired by Yasmeen Rehman whereas, Begum Hussain, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, Dr Ghulam Haider Samejo and Pir Dilawar Shah as members of the committee attended meeting.