The Supreme Court was informed Thursday that Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) syndicate has authorized its Board of Governor (BoG) to fill the slot of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital administrator from the public or private sector. Earlier, resuming the hearing of a suo motu case on alleged gross corruption in supply of oxygen, nitrogen gas & theft of medicine from Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad, a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali sought a comprehensive report from the SZABMU over vacant slot of the PIMS administrator.
During the previous date of hearing of the case, the apex court had observed that the SZABMU cannot run the affairs of the PIMS so there must be an administrator of the Hospital whereas the court also summoned secretaries of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Federal Ministry of Health and the Attorney General for Pakistan on Friday to explain delays in appointing administrators in Islamabad-based government hospitals.
Submitting report before the Supreme Court in the matter on Thursday, Additional Attorney General for Pakistan Amir Rehman Chaudhry said the University' BoG shall appoint an Administrator (Executive Director) of the PIMS hospital from the public or private sector with 20 years management experience in a teaching hospital. The report further explained about powers of the BoG for the short and long term development plans of the PIMS, adding that the Board shall be fully empowered to get the development project of the PIMS executed through the Administrator in a transparent manner.
It is pertinent to mention that earlier during the hearing of the suo motu case, the court had observed that under the SZABMU Act, the University has no authority to run the PIMS hospital affairs, adding the Hospital Administrator should be appointed through Federal Public Service Commission. The matter is fixed for hearing before a three-judge bench led by the Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ijazul Ahsan on September 30 (today).