ISLAMABAD: The federal government has appointed Prof Dr Rana Imran Sikander as the new Executive Director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital, ending a six-year period without a permanent head, according to media reports.
His appointment follows a Supreme Court verdict in February this year that allowed clinicians and faculty members in BS-21 to hold the post of executive director. Dr Sikander is expected to serve until his retirement in 2031.
Speaking to the media, Dr Sikander said that Pims is facing a serious shortage of staff, with hundreds of vacant posts in various departments. “In some departments, one person is doing the work of four,” he said. He promised to work on resolving staff shortages and other key issues to ensure better healthcare services for patients.
He highlighted that the hospital currently has only two administrative cadre officers, while there are 48 clinicians serving in BS-20.
Since 2019, Pims had been functioning under temporary arrangements after the last permanent head, Dr Amjad, was transferred. Several efforts to appoint a permanent head were delayed due to legal battles and disputes over eligibility criteria.
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Initially, cardiologist Dr Naeem Malik was given acting charge, but legal challenges were raised against his appointment. Over the past six years, multiple cases were filed in the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) and Islamabad High Court (IHC), halting the appointment process.
The Ministry of Health had earlier moved a summary for Dr Sikander’s appointment, but the move was blocked by court cases filed by Dr Ayesha Isani and Dr Mutahir Shah, who questioned his seniority. Another doctor, Iqbal Durrani, argued in court that only officers from the management cadre should lead the hospital.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of appointing clinicians and faculty members to the top post.
Dr Muhammad Saifur Rehman, a doctor at Pims who had also filed a petition in the IHC for a permanent appointment, welcomed the decision. “I am glad that a permanent head has finally been appointed. I believe the new ED will resolve the long-standing issues of the hospital,” he said.
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