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Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is facing a potential crisis due to delays in procuring free medicines for inpatients, with no tenders signed in six weeks. Dr. Tanwir Khaliq, the new Executive Director who took charge on Tuesday, stated he will address these issues urgently after learning about them upon assuming his position. The situation worsened following an August fire incident that led to the deaths of 15 newborns and subsequent leadership changes at Pims.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is facing another crisis as supplies of free medicines for inpatients are likely to be discontinued due to procurement issues. No tenders have been signed in the past six weeks, exacerbating the situation. Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, who recently became Executive Director at Pims on Tuesday, acknowledged the issue and pledged zero tolerance towards patients' facility concerns.
A senior doctor revealed that continuous supply of medicines is crucial for providing free medicine to all indoor patients but has been disrupted due to unresolved procurement problems over the last six months. This crisis follows a tragic fire incident in August where 14 newborn babies died, with another infant passing away later, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to suspend eight officers involved.
Written for “Pim Crisis” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 61940 · logged 2026-10-07
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is on the verge of another crisis as supplies of free medicines for inpatients and other items might be discontinued due to procurement issues.
uncertain
supplies → discontinue → issues
The situation has become worse as not a single tender has been signed during the last six weeks, a senior officer said.
asserted
officer → become → weeks
However Executive Director (ED) Pims Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, who took charge of the post on Tuesday, said he had taken up the issue and would show zero tolerance when it came to providing facilities to patients.
asserted
it → take → patients
A senior doctor of the hospital, requesting anonymity, said issues of procurement of different supply items were increasing.
asserted
issues → request → items
Free medicine supply to inpatients likely to be discontinued any time
“In Pims medicines and injectables are given free of cost to all indoor patients and for that continuous supply of medicines has to be ensured.
asserted
supply → discontinue → medicines
However tenders could not be approved during the last six months due to which supplies have been stopped and the available stocks are rapidly depleting,” he said.
uncertain
he → approve → which
It is worth mentioning here that after the fire incident at Pims, in which 14 newborn babies had died on August 26 and later the 15th baby also passed away, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice and suspended as many as eight officers.
asserted
Sharif → mention → officers
The additional charge of ED was given to head of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Dr Mohammad Salman.
asserted
charge → give → Health
On Oct 5 even Dr Salman was removed and the additional charge of the post was given to Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, who is vice chancellor of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad.
asserted
who → remove → University
A senior doctor of the hospital, requesting anonymity, said files of tender were piling up as they were not being signed.
asserted
they → request → tender
“Similarly most members of the purchase committee have some other jobs to do as heads of departments, therefore they take least interest.
asserted
they → have → interest
Absence of an ED had further aggravated the situation.
asserted
Absence → aggravate → situation
So I can say that a new crisis is in the making and suggested that the new management focus on the purchases of medicines,” the doctor said.
uncertain
doctor → say → medicines
An officer who is in the finance department, wishing not to be named, said there were some reasons behind the emerging crisis.
asserted
who → wish → crisis
“It has to be understood that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) only accepted authorised signatures and whenever officers were changed it took a fortnight to authorise new signatures,” he said.
asserted
he → have → signatures
When asked that the signature of director finance should be considered as authorised signature, he said documents of approval by the ED were also required for the transactions.
asserted
documents → ask → transactions
“As per my information, some of the stocks are available and we are trying to address the issue at the earliest,” he said.
asserted
he → try → earliest
ED Pims Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, while talking to Dawn, said he came to know on Tuesday that the tenders had not been approved for the last over one month.
asserted
tenders → talk → month
“I have directed to expedite the documentary process and informed all departments that there will be zero tolerance on facilities provided to patients.
asserted
I → direct → patients
Doctors can suffer but patients cannot be allowed to suffer,” he said, claiming that the issue will be resolved within days.
asserted
issue → suffer → days
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