Former head of burn centre at Pims seeks inquiry into ‘facility’s deterioration’

Former head of burn centre at Pims seeks inquiry into ‘facility’s deterioration’

ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is already under the spotlight following the deaths of 15 newborns in a recent fire incident, former head of the hospital’s burn care centre, Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal, has appealed to the federal health authorities to initiate a high-level inquiry into the alleged “complete collapse” of the specialised facility. In a letter addressed to the federal health minister, he alleged that significant structural and functional changes had been made to the centre following his retirement, adversely affecting its specialised services for burn patients. Prof Iqbal, who served in Pims for 35 years at different clinical and administrative positions and also remained vice chancellor of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), said he had established the burn care centre at Pims, which was inaugurated by president of Pakistan in December 2007. He said the centre had been established as a dedicated facility for the treatment of burn injuries and had operated for 17 years. According to him, it also served as a training centre for postgraduate specialisation in burn surgery. In his letter, he alleged that after his retirement the approved name of the burn centre had been changed to plastic and reconstructive surgery and specialised equipment worth millions of rupees was dismantled. He further claimed that alterations were made to the centre’s original structure, including conversion of patient-bed areas into offices. He claimed that the postgraduate training programme for burn surgery had been discontinued, resulting in a loss of specialised training opportunities. The former head of the centre went on to say that the facility was now largely being run by house officers and alleged that mortality and infection rates had reached “alarming” levels. Prof Iqbal has also raised questions on the appointment of a doctor to head the facility, alleging that the incumbent lacked the required experience in burn care and did not meet the criteria prescribed by the Federal Public Service Commission. He called on the health ministry to order an independent inquiry to determine responsibility for the changes and assess their impact on patient care and training. Prof Iqbal, who is currently serving as an international adviser at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK, has offered to provide further information and assistance to the authorities. A senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services, when contacted, confirmed receiving the letter from the former head of the Pims burn centre. However, he refused to comment on its contents, stating that “all such letters are taken seriously and marked to the relevant authorities for comments and clarifications.” Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2026