3 public hospitals of capital converted to medical teaching institutes

ISLAMABAD-Three major public sector hospitals of the federal capital have been converted into Medical Teaching Institutes (MTI) after the president of the country approved the ordinance proposed by the Minister of National Health Services (NHS), The Nation learnt on Saturday.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on NHS Dr. Faisal Sultan confirmed this to The Nation and said that ordinance is done. Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Federal Government Services (FGS) Polyclinic hospital and National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) have been converted into MTI, which will be run under Board of Governors (BoGs).

As MTIs, they will be allowed to charge fee from the patients visiting to run the expenditure of the hospitals. Earlier, there was no or nominal charges being taken by the hospitals against providing medical services to the public.

According to the bill of Medical Teaching Institute, the objective of this shall be to undertake all functions required for providing health facilities and healthcare services to the people and to provide medical education and training and research and to perform such other functions as are assigned to it by the government from time to time.

Under the MTI, after the commencement of the Act, all civil servants serving in the medical teaching institution, within a period to be notified by the government may exercise a one-time irrevocable option to become employees of the medical teaching institution.

The civil servants who opt for such employment, shall be subject to terms and conditions of employment as may be prescribed including but not limited to their service structure, promotion and disciplinary matters.

It said that such opting employees shall be entitled to post retirement benefits as per existing government laws and rules. The medical teaching institutions shall deposit pension contribution on their behalf.

Under the MTI Act, the teaching institutes shall retain receipts from various fees levied by the government or the board to meet recurring and development expenditure of the medical teaching institution.

It said that the employees who opt for private practice within the premises of the hospitals clinics, imaging facilities and laboratories of the MTI may be entitled to such increase in salary, adjustment, bonuses or other benefits as the board may approve.

It said that all employees hired after the commencement of this act shall be expected to perform their private practice within the MTIs hospitals, clinics, imaging facilities and laboratories and shall not be permitted private practice outside these facilities. 

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/15-Nov-2020/3-public-hospitals-of-capital-converted-to-medical-teaching-institutes