Elective Surgeries to Resume at PIMS from Today

12:22 PM, 9 Oct, 2017

ISLAMABAD - Elective surgeries, which had remained suspended at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for six days due to the ongoing protest of the All Employees’ Movement for Restoration of PIMS, will resume from today (Monday, 9th October, 2017).

Softening their stance in view of the inconvenience being faced by patients, the protesters observed a token strike of three hours on Sunday (8 a.m. to 11 a.m.), a pattern which will continue till the acceptance of their demand. From today onwards, the protesters will converge at D-Chowk to pressurise the government to separate PIMS from the Shahaeed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU). The media spokesman of the PIMS Restoration Movement Dr. Asfandyar said, “We have taken the decision to hold a three-hour token strike on the advice of the media, which is one of our strongest partners in the struggle to separate PIMS from SZABMU.

Being from the medical fraternity, we are just as concerned about the plight of poor patients as those who apparently so profess but have actually been maneuvering events to promote their own selfish interests. The backlog of elective surgeries needs to be cleared.” He said, the office of the VC will remain locked.

Dr. Asfandyar was hopeful of the amendment bill being passed in the ongoing session of the Parliament. “If it is not passed in the running session, we will demand a Presidential Ordinance, which will require a single stroke of the pen to come into immediate effect,” he added. When asked what the strategy will be in case none of the two options are exercised, Dr. Asfandyar talked about a mega decision being taken in such an eventuality. He was probably referring to suspension of emergency, cardiac and critical care services as well.

Dr. Asfandyar also shared that the entire faculty has announced to boycott a meeting that had been called by the Vice Chancellor of SZABMU Dr .Javed Akram today (Monday). The faculty’s decision was shared with the protestors by Prof. Dr. Haider Shirazi.