Fake official in PIMS caught diverting patients to private lab

ISLAMABAD – A fake official working at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) was recently caught by the administration for allegedly luring patients to get their medical tests done from a private lab.

The fake official was working as a receptionist in the Department of Pathology, with the connivance of a lab technician and pathology department, and was diverting the poor patients for medical tests from a private lab. He was allegedly charging extra money from the patients.

The culprit has been given in police custody and inquiry has been initiated against the hospital officials involved in this illegal and unethical practice.

The application filed to the Executive Director (ED) PIMS said that on 07-2-19, laboratory attendant Mubashir Khalid was found absent from his duty, and in his absence, Nasir Maseeh was attending the patients. The lab manager in the application said that this seemed to be a matter of extreme negligence and high-security risk for patients.

The application for the registration of the FIR said, “Application submitted by Muhammad Nawaz Lali, Manager Pathology Department of PIMS regarding the patients’ laboratory reception by an outsider Nasir Masih. It is stated that this act is unacceptable and intolerable. It is requested that FIR may kindly be registered in this regard.”

Earlier, the hospital administration had found two fake doctors in the hospital performing duties there in the absence of medical officers. The administration had also held an inquiry and registered a case against them.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, (NHSR&C) had also directed the ministry to complete the investigation regarding the issue of fake doctors working in government hospitals and submit the report.

The committee had also forwarded the issue of fake doctors to the subcommittee, constituted earlier by the committee, for review.

The Senate body had also directed the commissioner office, to begin a drive to monitor such activity in different areas of Islamabad. Meanwhile, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) was also directed to verify the degrees of the doctors working in federal hospitals.