ISLAMABAD: The employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Tuesday announced to march towards the Parliament on December 31st, if the government failed to withdraw Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance. The PIMS employees have been protesting against the MTI Ordinance for the past three weeks suspending all services, except in the Covid-19 ward and the Emergency department.

Grand Health Alliance Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan while addressing the protesting employees said they would continue the protest till the government withdrew the ordinance, and accepted their demands. He further announced that the protest would be registered outside the gate on Wednesday.

However, Dr Asfandyar Khan announced that the administration should open the OPD from Wednesday, and they would check the patients. The government promulgated the ordinance last month, under which the hospital would be run through a board of governors.

"The government intends to snatch free treatment facility form patients by privatising PIMS. We will not surrender until the government withdraws the ordinance," he said. He further said that the Senate was scheduled to convene on December 30th.

"We will go to the Parliament on December 31st with all the organisations. If we are not listened to, we will not allow anybody to enter the parliament," he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020