Boy dies at PIMS, allegedly for want of ventilatory support

Islamabad

A 20-year-old young man, Muhammad Wazir, died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here Monday, allegedly for want of ventilatory support, which the hospital administration failed to provide.

Wazir, who was referred to PIMS by Chashma Hospital, district Mianwali, was admitted at PIMS on December 4 with brainstem encephalitis. He passed away on Monday due to cardiopulmonary arrest, which the patient’s relatives attributed to non-availability of a ventilator in the hospital.

Wazir’s attendants alleged that their patient endured hours of needless pain merely because of the hospital’s negligence. Cursing the administration for its apathy, they took the body of the deceased back to Mianwali.

According to the PIMS administration, the hospital only has 46 ventilators, which are way short of the required number. It may be recalled that the former ED of PIMS Dr. Fazle Maula had arranged a donation of 11 ventilators worth Rs8 crore for PIMS, but these are still lying unutilised. The chronic shortage of ventilators at PIMS continues to take countless lives. Like all other neglected issues at PIMS, this matter too will be prioritised only after some notable of the city or a VIP government official meets the same fate at Wazir.

It may be added that the inauguration of the new emergency at PIMS also faces delays for the last three months now because the PM’s daughter is yet to confirm her availability for the event. While nobody cares if human lives are wasted, a point-scoring opportunity must surely be seized, and that is precisely what is happening at PIMS.