Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the non-functional PIMS angiography unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad and ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter.
The prime minister has directed the inquiry committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation, establish the facts and determine whether any officials were responsible for the facility remaining non-operational.
The committee will be headed by the secretary of the Establishment Division. It will include senior officials from the National Health Services Division and medical experts associated with the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and PIMS.
The PIMS angiography unit inquiry will examine whether the hospital had the technical capability to conduct CT coronary angiography since 2022. It will also assess the availability of equipment, software and qualified technical staff.
The committee will review hospital records to determine how many procedures were carried out since 2022, along with their dates and nature. It will also examine referrals and coordination between the cardiology and radiology departments.
Another key part of the investigation will be allegations that patients were regularly referred to private diagnostic centres. The panel will examine whether particular private facilities were given preference and assess the revenue that may have been diverted from the public hospital.
The prime minister has instructed the committee to submit its findings at the earliest. Shehbaz Sharif said further action would be taken according to the law after the inquiry report establishes the facts and identifies those responsible.
