‘PIMS to have new incineration system’

Islamabad: Deliberations are underway with the Ministry of Environmental Protection for installation of a latest incineration system at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for safe and efficient disposal of hospital waste.

Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhry made this disclosure Wednesday while inaugurating the newly upgraded wards of PIMS. The minister also declared his intention to have the central air-conditioning system up and running at PIMS ahead of the summer of 2018. He termed the delay in its commissioning as “criminal neglect.” Tariq Fazal termed lack of human resource and poor service delivery as the key problems at PIMS but was optimistic that the separation of PIMS from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), following passage of the bill in the upcoming Senate session on January 22, will automatically pave the way for progress. “The moment PIMS stands separated from the medical university, new inductions will be made to strengthen the human resource capacity of the hospital,” he assured. The minister also underlined the need to bring about a positive change in the attitude of doctors.

Referring to the rising patient load being accommodated at PIMS, the minister reemphasized the need for construction of more hospitals in Islamabad. “PIMS was envisaged as a hospital for the residents of Islamabad only; today, it caters to patients right from Peshawar to Jehlum and up to Kashmir,” he said.

Tariq Fazal then claimed that with several revolutionary steps having been taken in recent months, PIMS is already on the road to being transformed. “A biometric system has been installed to monitor the attendance of doctors and staff; CCTV cameras have been affixed for security; a new emergency has been inaugurated, and a new pathology department is also functioning,” he stated, lifting some of the major steps taken.