Mustafa Kamal says PIMS trauma centre to become operational within 10 days

ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said that the new emergency and trauma centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) would be made operational in phases within the next 10 days, offering advanced medical facilities to patients.

Kamal, who visited the new emergency and trauma centre and received a briefing from PIMS officials, said the facility would have minor and major operation theatres as well as a high-dependency unit.

The trauma centre would also be equipped with CT scan, MRI and X-ray facilities, while training of its medical and support staff was under way, he said.

During his visit, the minister also took notice of PIMS charging fees from patients and expressed displeasure with the hospital administration.

“It is inappropriate to charge 10 per cent of patients when 90 per cent are being treated free of cost,” Kamal said, according to a statement issued after his visit.

He sought details from the PIMS administration about the revenue generated through the fee collection and questioned why the information had not been provided despite being requested.

“If 90 per cent of patients can be treated free of charge, why can’t the remaining 10 per cent also be treated free?” the minister asked.

Kamal also expressed displeasure with PIMS Executive Director Dr Muhammad Salman over the matter and said he would take up the issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to seek free treatment for all PIMS patients.

He said patients who were being charged fees could also be raising concerns about the policy.

G-11 hospital project

Later, Kamal visited the G-11 Polyclinic-II project in Islamabad and reviewed its construction progress.

Officials briefed the minister that the project, which is being developed at a cost of more than Rs15.948 billion, had reached 60 per cent completion.

The number of beds at the hospital had also been increased from 311 to 400, they said.

Kamal said that progress on the project had increased from 13 per cent to 60 per cent since the health ministry assumed responsibility for it, adding that there was no shortage of funds for its completion.

“The new hospital will be state-of-the-art and will have 400 beds,” he said.

The minister said that orders had been placed for the equipment required at the hospital and that a substantial quantity of equipment had already arrived. Any equipment facing delays would be transported by air, he added.

The project is being developed in collaboration with a Chinese company and is expected to become operational in 2027. Officials said the revised completion deadline for the project had been set for June 2027.

The hospital will include modern information technology systems, biomedical equipment, solar power and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, officials said.

Kamal directed authorities to accelerate work on the project and said delays in health-sector projects would not be tolerated.

“Improving healthcare facilities in Islamabad is a priority for the government,” the minister said, adding that completion of the hospital would provide residents of the federal capital with modern medical facilities.

He directed officials to ensure that the project was completed within the stipulated timeframe in line with the prime minister’s instructions.