More than 100 nursing staff members at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad’s largest hospital, were abruptly dismissed from their positions following verbal orders. This action came under the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes (FMTI) Act, causing a wave of protests among the affected employees.
The nurses, who were previously hired on a two-year contract during the PTI government and had their contracts extended under the PDM administration, reported that they had been working without pay for four months. They were relying on verbal assurances from hospital management regarding contract renewals. Now, they are being replaced by untrained personnel.
Executive Director of PIMS, Rana Imran Sikander, stated that the nurses’ contracts had expired and the matter was currently stalled between the Establishment Division and the Health Department.
The sudden terminations have sparked significant outrage among the dismissed staff, who have been ordered to vacate their hostels on just one day’s notice. They expressed their grievances, highlighting the precarious situation and lack of job security, which they feel has been exacerbated by bureaucratic delays.