Prime Minister Takes Notice Over Inactive CT Coronary Angiography Facility at PIMS, Forms Inquiry Committee
ISLAMABAD: Slain Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has taken formal notice of the non-functional CT coronary angiography facility at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and directed the immediate formation of a high-level inquiry committee to look into the issue.
The official directions state that the inquiry committee shall be chaired by the Secretary of the Establishment Division. Other members are: Dr. Jahanzeb Ali (Secretary of Health Services), Dr. Nusratullah Chaudhry, Professor Nadeem Hayat, Dr. Azmat Hayat and Umar Farooq. The Prime Minister directed the committee to review all aspects extensively, ascertain facts, fix accountability and report back on the same in a definite time frame, giving it the mandate to add more members if necessary.
The mechanics of scope of the inquiry and referral.
The inquiry will explore the reasons for the technical capacity of CT coronary angiograms to not have been implemented at PIMS since 2022, as well as the availability of the necessary technical facilities, human resources and software.
The committee will review all the CT coronary angiogram procedures, number of cases, dates, and records from 2022 onwards and evaluate referral process and inter-departmental coordination between cardiology and radiology departments. In addition, the probe will look at whether patients were regularly referred to private facilities, and which private facilities were given a preference treatment.
The Prime Minister said that the committee has to identify the losses from the public interest if incurred by any administrative negligence or lack of coordination from any officials and in that case, proper action should be taken legally and administrationally.