ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has decided to resist the appointment of military officers as the heads of the two state-run big hospitals in Islamabad.
In a statement, PMA said that it would not tolerate the appointment of army officers as the heads of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital.
During an impromptu meeting, PMA Islamabad expressed its strong condemnation of a letter sent by the federal health ministry concerning these appointments.
Office-bearers of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Islamabad, including Mian Rasheed, Dr. Riaz Shahbaz Janjua, Dr. Muhammad Ajmal, Dr. Abid Saeed, Dr. Umer Farooq, Dr. Rana Farooq, and others, issued a stern warning to the health ministry.
They emphasized their opposition to the appointment of military personnel to manage public sector health institutions, emphasizing that this was unacceptable under any circumstances. They also mentioned that even military authorities would likely disapprove of the federal health ministry’s decision.
Previously, a widely circulated letter on social media indicated that the Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHS, R&C) had formally requested the Ministry of Defense to assign qualified and capable hospital managers of the equivalent grade BPS 21 from the Pakistan Army Medical Corps as executive directors of PIMS and Polyclinic. The Ministry demanded their appointment on a deputation basis for three years.
In response, a spokesperson for the federal health ministry reiterated that the appointments would follow established recruitment rules.
The government’s stance remained rooted in the principle of meritocracy, with a commitment to providing superior healthcare services to the public through competent officials.
The spokesperson also urged the public not to rely on unverified information on social media.
