Overburdened PIMS operating in pathetic conditions

Islamabad: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences that is considered as the biggest critical care setup in the country is operating in pathetic condition because of being extremely overburdened and shortage of space and staff.

One can witness the emergency department of the PIMS filled with a good number of stretchers carrying patients round the clock because of unavailability of beds and almost the same is the situation in a number of wards where the patients, in need of beds, have to stay on stretchers for hours.

Alarming is the situation as the hospital has to keep patients on oxygen support on stretchers in lounges of the accident and emergency department and in wards even for over 24 hours as there is extreme shortage of beds in the hospital. Hundreds of patients reaching PIMS with expectations of getting quality healthcare services have to suffer badly everyday and it seems as no-one is giving due attention to the development and up-gradation of the health infrastructure at PIMS.

Joint Executive Director at PIMS Dr. Iqbal Durrani when contacted by ‘The News’ on Wednesday admitted that the hospital has been facing acute shortage of space and beds in the emergency department and in wards mainly because of the extremely heavy burden of patients. He, however, added that the quality of healthcare services being provided by the PIMS is being compromised due to many other reasons too.

He said the PIMS was built with an objective of providing specialized healthcare services to patients referred from other healthcare facilities and hospitals in a proper way though it has not been in practice. The PIMS has to cater to the needs of not only the population living in the federal capital but also has to manage a huge burden of patients reaching hospital from Rawalpindi district and from far flung areas stretching from KPK to Jhelum and AJK, he said. He added the majority of the patients reaching PIMS are without any referral.

To a query, he said another reason behind the compromised quality of services at PIMS is that there is no regular appointment at the management posts. He added that on average, PIMS receives 8000 to 10000 patients per day at the emergency and outpatient departments combined of which 30 to 40 per cent patients need emergency medical services.