Health minister opposes ‘permanent’ staff in public sector hospitals

Health minister opposes 'permanent' staff in public sector hospitals.

Key points

• Ikram Junaidi Published August 31, 2026 Updated August 31, 2026 07: 21am.
• Earlier, speaking to reporters after taking charge on Sunday, new Pims ED Dr Muhammad Salman remarked that patient safety would be his top priority.
• Ikram Junaidi is a staff correspondent for Dawn with over 25 years of experience.
• He recalled how he had taken responsibility on the floor of the National Assembly.
• Nevertheless, Mr Kamal insisted that what transpired actually supports his viewpoint on the problem of new provinces.

Ikram Junaidi Published August 31, 2026 Updated August 31, 2026 07: 21am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Mustafa Kamal notes not minister's job to manage a hospital; states elected mayor or his team should be looking after Pims affairs Suggests bringing in CEO from private sector; all hirings on contract, performance-basis New Pims ED takes charge, vows to prioritise patient safety.

ISLAMABAD: Days after a tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) asserted the lives of 14 newborn babies, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal seemingly stirred another hornet's nest by suggesting that there should be no permanent employees at government-run hospitals.

"There should be no permanent government scale employees in hospitals, they should all be employed on contract basis, and a CEO should be brought in from the private sector to run things effectively, " Mr Kamal remarked during an interview with Geo News on Sunday night.

Lamenting that permanent employees were extremely powerful and embroiled their departments in litigation if they were ever dismissed, Mr Kamal touted his idea as the only 'permanent solution' to the prevailing rot in the country's healthcare system.

"Whoever performs and works should remain, everyone else should be let obtained. A CEO should be brought in who should have full hiring-and-firing authority. They should obtain their annual budget approved from us and then be responsible for managing their affairs and ensuring accountability, " he stated.

According to Mr Kamal additionally, the inquiry report into the deadly fire in the gynae ward had discovered that only 120 seconds, or two minutes, elapsed between the first spark and the fire engulfing the entire Mother and Child Health Centre.

When asked regarding a fire that had broken out in a Pims nursing hostel around a month ago, the health minister stated he had only learnt of the incident after last week's tragedy.

He explained that at the time, a bulb in the waiting room of the nurse's hostel had short-circuited and fell onto a sofa. It caught fire. He maintained that this incident was not documented to the ministry at any level, nor was it a major incident of the kind that would have been noted by the media.

Nevertheless, he maintained that the previous executive director (ED) had internally formed a committee to conduct an inquiry and provide a way forward. The report of that committee, he remarked, was only submitted to the ED just a day prior to last week's tragedy.

Referring to reports that he had already offered his resignation to PM Shehbaz, but was asked to hold off until the investigation into the incident concluded, Mr Kamal remarked the ministerial slot did not hold any meaning for him. He recalled how he had taken responsibility on the floor of the National Assembly.

"When I am offering myself up for accountability, then no one should be spared. Even though I am not at fault in any of this, but I do take responsibility as the minister, " he remarked.

When asked regarding criticism against him and calls for his resignation – especially from the PPP – Mr Kamal regretted how the party was trying to link this to the problem of new administrative units, at a time when such a tragedy had taken place.

"If Islamabad were a separate administrative unit, with elected officials and a mayor who was directly elected by the people, they should be the ones tasked with running this hospital, " he remarked.

Maintaining that he had to focus on larger problems, such as the country's health policy, Mr Kamal insisted: "It should not be a minister's job to run a hospital; it should be under an elected mayor".

To a question, he remarked that the new ED – who is the CEO of the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, had been appointed on the recommendation of the inquiry committee.

Since they were assured of the fact that no outsider could be brought in to take their place, he regretted that plenty of of the top office-holders at such institutions considered themselves 'kings'. The new ED has been appointed after relaxing the rules; in principle no one can be brought in from outside. Now we need post-facto cabinet approval for. New ED takes charge.

After taking charge of his post, Dr Salman visited different departments at the hospital and inspected arrangements in place. He additionally called a gathering of the heads of different departments and discussed the prevailing situation with them.

Talking to media persons, he remarked: Although it is a challenging situation but as responsibility has been given to me, I will try to prove myself. We will implement the recommendations of the inquiry committee and priority will be to ensure patient safety.

In practice, the short term objective is to ensure that such incidents would not be repeated in future, he remarked.

According to Dr Salman, other hazards will additionally be looked at. "There is heavy patient load on the hospital so it will additionally be managed. Referral system will additionally be produced stronger so that the patient management would improve, " he noted. Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2026.

Ikram Junaidi is a staff correspondent for Dawn with over 25 years of experience. As well as public health problems, he covers national politics, particularly opposition parties.

In short, health minister opposes 'permanent' staff in public sector hospitals is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.