Islamabad: Following a tragic fire that claimed the lives of 14 newborn infants at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), health minister Mustafa Kamal has proposed a series sweeping reforms at government run hospitals. Speaking during an interview with Geo News, Kamal argued that public healthcare facilities should eliminate permanent civil service positions. He advocated for replacing permanent staff with contract based employees governed by strict performance evaluations, alongside bringing in executives from the private sector to manage hospital operations efficiently.
The minister argued that permanent government employees currently hold excessive power and frequently entangle departments in lengthy litigation whenever disciplinary action or dismissal is attempted. Under his proposed model, hospital executives recruited from the private sector would be granted complete authority over hiring and firing, operating on approved annual budgets while remaining directly accountable for administrative outcomes. Furthermore, the minister suggested that hospital oversight belongs under local municipal governance such as an elected mayor rather than the health ministry, freeing federal authorities to focus on macro level policy.
The minister also shared critical findings from the ongoing investigation into the disaster at the Mother and Child Health Centre at PIMS. According to the inquiry report, a mere 120 seconds elapsed between the initial spark and fire completely engulfing the facility. Addressing queries about a separate fire in a PIMS nursing hostel a month prior, Kamal clarified that the incident was caused by a short circuited bulb falling onto a sofa and was never reported to the ministry, with the internal inquiry report only reaching the executive director's desk a day before the fatal ward fire.
Amidst mounting political pressure, the minister stated that he has already offered his resignation to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and accepts full responsibility as minister, though he was asked to remain at his post until the investigation concludes. Meanwhile, Dr Muhammad Salman, head of the National Institute of Health, has taken charge as the new executive director of PIMS following a relaxation of appointment rules. Upon assuming office, Dr Salman pledged that patient safety, implementing safety recommendations, and easing heavy patient loads would be his top immediate priorities.
