Allegations of irregular appointments, vacant posts and flawed recruitment raised

ISLAMABAD: A series of administrative and governance controversies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have escalated to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliamentary Committee on Health, triggering concern over leadership gaps and recruitment practices at one of the country’s premier public hospitals.

The developments come amid mounting allegations of irregular appointments, prolonged vacancies in key academic positions and procedural lapses in ongoing recruitment processes.

Vacant Dean Positions Raise Governance Concerns

As PIMS is affiliated with the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), the absence of leadership at the university level has added to the controversy.

According to officials, four out of five dean positions at SZABMU remain vacant, while the head of the Medicine Department at PIMS has not been formally appointed following the retirement of the previous head.

The issue was discussed in an internal meeting chaired by SZABMU Vice Chancellor Dr Tanveer Khalil, where participants expressed concern that prolonged vacancies were weakening the chain of command within the institution.

Allegations Against PIMS Administration

During the meeting, it was alleged that Executive Director (ED) PIMS Dr Rana Imran Sikander, who holds a permanent position in BPS-21, had notified himself as head of the Critical Care Department.

Participants also raised concerns that subject specialists were not being referred to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) for interviews, potentially compromising merit and transparency in appointments.

One participant noted that the lack of appointed deans and heads of departments was adversely affecting academic oversight and administrative discipline.

University’s Limited Role Highlighted

A senior SZABMU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the posts of deans had been neglected for several years but added that the newly appointed vice chancellor had begun addressing the issue.

Currently, only the dean of Basic Sciences is in place, while the positions of deans for Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing remain vacant.

The official clarified that PIMS is an affiliated hospital rather than a constituent unit, limiting the university’s authority to intervene directly in hospital administration or alleged irregularities.

Letter Sent to Prime Minister’s Office

The controversy intensified after Professor of Medicine Dr Shafat Khatoon wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office, stating she was raising the issue in the public interest as two major recruitment processes assistant professors and postgraduate inductions were underway at PIMS.

In her letter, she alleged that both processes were plagued by serious procedural flaws and unlawful practices, raising concerns about merit, legality and institutional integrity.

She further alleged that doctors from unrelated specialties were nominated as departmental representatives for general medicine, a move she claimed undermined academic standards in a high-burden discipline.

PIMS Executive Director Rejects Allegations

Responding to the allegations, Dr Rana Imran Sikander categorically denied any wrongdoing, stating that all claims against him were baseless and misleading.

He said the dispute stemmed from internal departmental disagreements, adding that appointing deans was the responsibility of the university syndicate, not the hospital administration.

Addressing concerns about FPSC referrals, he said there was no legal requirement to send only subject specialists, explaining that representatives merely assess a candidate’s suitability for the hospital.

Clarification on Head of Department Role

On retaining the position of head of the Critical Care Department despite serving as executive director, Dr Rana Imran said there was no senior professor available in the specialty.

He stated that he had appointed a female doctor as head of the Anaesthesia Department and retained charge of Critical Care to ensure uninterrupted functioning, adding that he continued clinical practice alongside administrative duties.