ISLAMABAD  – Citizens have urged the management of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to improve service delivery system at its Out-Patient Department (OPD) and Emergency ward.
They complained that most of the time junior doctors attend the patients while senior doctors remain absent from their duties at OPD and emergency ward. “They consider the hospital as picnic place where they just come to spend a few minutes to show their presence and they don’t take anything seriously here,” said Muhammad Aslam, an attendant of patient at PIMS.
He said junior doctors who work in the absence of senior doctors do not have adequate experience to provide proper medical advice to the patients due to which they have to go to private hospitals for treatment.
Similarly, those patients who come from far-flung areas after travelling five to six hours for treatment at PIMS also face several problems like getting next date for check up or surgery and sometimes doctors on duty even refuse to treat them without any reason.
Muhammad Arif, an attendant of patient who was admitted to Medical Ward said “No senior doctor is present to examine my brother while junior doctors remain busy in gossip with one another all the time.”
He suggested that there should be frequent surprise visits of concerned ministry’s officials to monitor the situation and to check the attitude of doctors with patients. When contacted an official of the hospital said over 4,000 patients visit hospital OPD daily for treatment of various health problems.
He said out of total incoming patients’ visits, 75% are follow up visits while 25% new patients come daily to hospital Out-Patient Department. He said unlike medical practices abroad where one doctor examines five to seven patients in a day, here each doctor has to examine 200 patients daily at OPD. He said a seven to eight- member team of doctors performs duties in hospital’s OPDs including Medical officer, Professor, Assistant Professor and Post Graduates while in Filter Clinics each section has two to three- member team of doctors.
He said around 800 to 900 patients also visit hospital’s Emergency Department including 400 in main emergency while other visit Children Emergency ward, Burn hospital emergency and Mother and Child emergency unit.
He said five to six community medical officers remain on duty in each emergency ward where 80% patients visit with minor diseases like cough or headache while only 20% patients get admitted to the ward with serious conditions including head injury, heart attack etc.
He said PIMS was established to provide special health service to the patients suffering from critical diseases however the hospital has become a major center for all patients who come here from various parts of the country.