Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has proposed ending permanent government employment at public hospitals after the deaths of 14 newborn babies at Pims.
Speaking in an interview, Kamal suggested hiring hospital staff on contracts and appointing private-sector CEOs to improve performance.
“There should be no permanent government scale employees in hospitals, they should all be employed on contract basis, and a CEO should be brought in from the private sector to run things effectively,” Mr Kamal said.
He argued that permanent employees often become difficult to remove and can involve departments in lengthy legal disputes.
“Whoever performs and works should remain, everyone else should be let got. A CEO should be brought in [from the private sector] who should have full hiring-and-firing authority.”
Kamal also discussed the inquiry into the deadly Pims fire. He said investigators found that the fire spread throughout the Mother and Child Health Centre within just two minutes.
He further revealed that a separate fire had occurred at a Pims nursing hostel around a month earlier. According to him, the ministry only learned about that incident after the recent tragedy.
Meanwhile, Kamal defended his decision to take responsibility as health minister despite denying personal fault.
“When I am offering myself up for accountability, then no one should be spared… even though I am not at fault in any of this, but I do take responsibility as the minister,” he said.
New Pims Executive Director Takes Charge
New Pims Executive Director Dr Muhammad Salman has taken charge and made patient safety his top priority.
He visited hospital departments and met senior officials after assuming office. “Although it is a challenging situation but as responsibility has been given to me, I will try to prove myself.”
He pledged to implement the inquiry committee’s recommendations and strengthen the referral system to improve patient management.
