Permanent protest camp set up at PIMS; massive rally planned for tomorrow

Islamabad : With the three-hour token strike continuing now since October 2, the medical and non-medical fraternity of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Thursday established a permanent protest camp within the hospital where congregations will be held round the clock to pressurise the government for restoration of the erstwhile status of the hospital and its separation from the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU).

The protest camp will continue till the acceptance of our demands. “We do not want patients to suffer and will therefore refrain from complete withdrawal of services, but we will not listen to anyone, if coerced,” spokesman of the All Employees’ Association for Restoration of PIMS Dr. Asfandyar Khan stated while addressing a mammoth rally at the hospital. With no immediate solution to the crisis in sight, patients are languishing in pain now for over two weeks.

Dr. Asfandyar said, a new formula to torment the government will be unveiled every day, and if the matter is not resolved through a Presidential Ordinance by Monday, we will decide whether to lay siege to the National Assembly, to assemble at D-Chowk, or to stage a sit-in outside the Supreme Court.

“We had served a deadline to the government but it has not budged an inch. The ministers are busy tackling accountability courts and arranging protocols; they are least bothered about the woes of PIMS employees and patients,” Dr. Asfandyar added.

The protestors announced to hold a mega rally on Saturday (October 21), with 10,000 people from all walks of life participating. “We want the civil society to be fully aware of what is going on in PIMS, and how an institution created as a welfare entity to serve poor patients is being exploited by vested interests,” they stated. Doctors and staff of all public sector hospitals in Islamabad are also expected to attend the rally.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr. Tariq Fazl Chaudhry gave a “100 per cent commitment” to the protesters for a positive outcome on the issue in the October 24 Cabinet meeting. “The minister has urged us to end the protest but we will not,” Dr. Asfandyar maintained. Meanwhile, the permanent protest camp remained populated till late night on Thursday. The protesters will stay at the camp in shifts.