With enhanced security comes sanity at PIMS

Islamabad: At the time of its establishment in 1985, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was conceived as a centre of excellence for healthcare provision, and a model for medical education and research. Three decades later on Saturday, the hospital can, at best, be described as an irredeemable public sector health institution plagued by multiples challenges.
A serious deficit of sincere leadership with sharp management acumen, among countless other deficiencies, has brought PIMS to its current state of degeneration. Never in these years has the institution been lucky enough to be headed by someone who was determined and capable enough to steer its sinking ship out of troubled waters.
PIMS has unfortunately established itself as a hospital where patient care is blatantly compromised, where consultants conveniently bunk clinics, where right persons seldom get to work at the right places, where medicines and supplies perpetually remain short, and where corruption and collusion are the order of the day. Yet, no questions are ever asked and no accountability ever held. Of late, serious reservations are also being expressed about the poor state of the hospital’s security, an area where laxity simply cannot be allowed.
Last night’s firing episode in the hospital, preceded by many similar incidents in the past, has only reinforced how easy it is for anyone to evade existing security measures in a bid to target medical professionals and patients alike.
“Measures are being taken on fast track basis to secure the hospital. Several bunker posts have been established and steel gates are in the process of being fixed on all glass entry doors. Acting on the advice of law enforcement agencies, multiple entry exit gates are now under surveillance and 18 CCTVs have been installed; their number will be increased to 100 over time. Walkthrough gates and weapon detectors are also being purchased,” the acting vice chancellor of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (SZAB) Medical University-PIMS and chairman of the Hospital Management Committee Prof. Dr. Khaleeq-uz-Zaman stated when questioned.
Dr. Khaleeq is currently working in the stead of VC Prof. Javed Akram, who is on leave. Dr. Akram is also the chief of the security committee of three hospitals namely, the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Polyclinic, and PIMS itself. A focal person for the security of all the three hospitals is also closely coordinating and sharing information with law enforcement agencies as well as the Pakistan Army.
Meanwhile, search lights are also being affixed at deserted points to improve the security of the hospital. Wild shrubs and trees are being trimmed to prevent use of large uninhabited areas as hiding places by miscreants. The canteen is also being relocated to its originally allotted areas on the advice of law enforcement personnel.
“My key concern is to guarantee the security of every paramedic and doctor working in the hospital; we have to go all out to address the issue of security, particularly in the wake of the Army Public School tragedy,” Dr. Khaleeq remarked. He was confident that any terrorist will think a hundred times before entering PIMS, and if at all he succeeds, it will take only one call to trigger a chain of events for his capture, such is the current level of surveillance at the hospital.
The acting VC said, an estimated 8,000 patients visit the Outpatient Department of PIMS on a daily basis. “It is very difficult to stop every single person entering the premises for treatment. However, we have been advised by the Pakistan Army to at least put our house in order and ensure that maximum preventive measures are in place for effective security,” he said.
According to one security survey, over 2,500 patients, attendants and medical staff remain present in PIMS at any given time. Over 1500 vehicles enter and remain parked in the premises on a daily basis. Dr. Khaleeq’s point of view was seconded by a law enforcement official. “While the hospital cannot be secured 100 percent, effective preventive measures can surely be taken to limit the scope of damage caused by an untoward incident,” he said.
On a more positive note, while security concerns have overshadowed all other areas deserving attention at PIMS, it is pertinent to mention that a mini-revolution has, of late, begun to show positive outcomes in the hospital.
For the first time in the institution’s history, the very basic practice of early morning rounds by the chief executive has been initiated. This, of course, can only be done if the executive himself arrives at the hospital on time. And when he does, the practice is bound to have a trickle-down effect.
It is encouraging to see that for once, hospital timings are being strictly adhered to, with 95 percent of the staff present on duty from 8 am to 2 pm every day. And interestingly, punctuality is being practiced willingly and whole-heartedly, largely because the chief executive makes a round of all clinics and wards, first thing in the morning. Sweets were distributed in the hospital the other day to celebrate the positive change. One can only hope it will not be a short-lived measure.
Being punctual and on duty has also promoted efficient and quick handling of patients who previously had to stand in long queues outside the registration counters. With reference to security, a daily security report is now also being generated to detect loopholes and take corrective action. A hospital security committee of PIMS headed by Dr. Khaleeq, with Dr. Ayesha Isani, Dr. Altaf, Dr. Zahid Larik, and two officials of the security department as its members, has also been activated.
Dr. Khaleeq will do a great service if he could also look into the issue of shortage of competent doctors in the department of gastroenterology. It would be great if he ensures the availability of the right people at the right places. Doctors should be appointed in departments relevant to their respective areas of specialisation. This is currently not the case. While the practice creates job dissatisfaction among medical professionals, it also endangers the lives of patients. What business does a skin specialist have in the private ward, one may ask. Some corrective action in this domain is seriously warranted.
Cleanliness is another area where change is suddenly visible. A Supervisor who volunteered to change the face of PIMS cleared the premises of all garbage dumps within two days. Every ward is now responsible for ensuring that the toilets remain clean. People are beginning to realise that they may be held accountable. Interestingly, results are being achieved without anyone having been punished so far. Improvements are being achieved through motivation, rather than punishment. The acting VC has also proved that some jobs such as cleanliness, which had been neglected in the past for want of funds, can be done without money. The solution of many ills plaguing PIMS must come from within. Things can change for the better, oftentimes without requiring huge expenditures.
Even with reference to the firing incident, is leant that some people with vested interests were keen to fan conspiracies around the incident but since the acting VC was at the spot before all others, the evil was nipped in the bud.
So while PIMS mostly grabs headlines for all the wrong reasons, the acting VC has at least demonstrated the fact that the institution is not beyond repair. All it needs is someone who can lead from the front.