Federal Health Minister Takes Notice of PIMS Charging 10% of Patients for Treatment and Tests

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has taken notice of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) charging 10 percent of patients for treatment and medical tests.

During a visit to the hospital’s New Emergency and Trauma Centre, the federal minister questioned hospital authorities about why 10 percent of patients were being charged at a government hospital.

Mustafa Kamal directed officials to provide details of the total amount collected from the 10 percent of patients so that he could raise the matter with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said the government would also bear these expenses.

The health minister said the government was already covering the expenses of 90 percent of patients, but not those of the remaining 10 percent. He said asking even a few patients visiting a government hospital to pay for treatment was affecting the entire system.

“I want the details so that I can approach the planning authorities or the prime minister for the required funds,” he said.

The minister also announced that the 166-bed New Emergency and Trauma Centre at PIMS would be completed within the next 10 days. He added that the existing emergency departments would continue operating until then.