Following a letter from the national health services ministry to the defence ministry, serving officers of the Pakistan Army Medical Corps will take charge as the executive directors of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital (FGPC) in Islamabad.

In its letter, the ministry has expressed its lack of confidence in the officers working in its subordinate departments for the posts.

It read that the posts of the executive director in Pims and FGPC were vacant because of the lack of eligible officers from the existing ones for promotion to the slots.

“In order to ensure effective health care service delivery for the public at large in ICT [Islamabad Capital Territory], it has been desired to fill the posts on secondment basis from [the] Pakistan Army Medical Corps as an interim arrangement,” it added.

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“It is, therefore, requested to convey the availability/spareability of qualified and capable hospital managers of equivalent grade i.e. BS-21 from Pakistan Army Medical Corps for posting as ED Pims and FGPC (BS-21) on deputation basis for a period of three years and until further orders under standard terms and conditions,” it concluded.

According to the sources, there are experienced competent and expert officers working under the national health services ministry at both the state-run hospitals of Islamabad, but there it is dissatisfied with their performance,

A spokesperson for the national health services ministry said they wanted to introduce reforms in the two hospitals and the letter has been written to the defence ministry so that it nominates the best officers from the Pakistan Army Medical Corps for them.

He added that under the Pakistan Army Medical Corps officers, the administrative affairs of the hospitals could be run in a better way and the problems faced by the patients addressed at the earliest.