ISLAMABAD - Dr Riaz Warraich from Mayo hospital, Lahore, took charge of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) as Executive Director Tuesday.
But the employees failed to hold any protest and strike as per the announcement of the Young Doctors Association because consultants and Joint Action Committee of employees backed off from their commitments. Earlier, the employees including doctors and non-doctors had warned the government against appointment of any official as executive director from outside the hospital or else the employees would boycott healthcare activities for an indefinite period.
An urgent meeting of YDA was called in PIMS after the joining of Dr Riaz Warraich as ED PIMS in the evening to discuss the issue. They discussed that the YDA, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of employees and consultants had jointly announced that they would not allow Dr Warraich to take charge but the JAC and consultants betrayed the YDA and gave warm welcome to ED. The YDA representatives regretted that the consultants and the JAC have endorsed the stance of the government by welcoming Dr Warraich that they are not competent enough for the job so the government has appointed an official from Lahore as ED.
Earlier, the employees including YDA, JAC and consultants had alleged that the main purpose of Dr Warriach’s appointment was to bypass all the Pims administrative officers and consultants is to grab money from mega projects of PIMS like Cardiac Center and Dialysis Unit and for this corruption Dr Riaz Warraich is suitable which is evident due to some bitter facts about his career.
They had also resorted to protest and token strike on September 10 and 26 against the expected appointment but they ended it on the next days when the government had delayed its decision of appointment for the time being.