PIMS sacks over 100 nurses on ‘verbal orders’

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad's largest hospital, PIMS, management has verbally told more than 100 nurses, recruited under the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes (FMTI) Act, to quit and vacate their hostel after their contract term expires.

The dismissed nurses are protesting against their abrupt termination, stating that they were given only a day's notice in an unprofessional manner. They say that they have been working without pay for the past four months, based on the hospital management's oral promises to extend their contracts. Now, there are plans to recruit untrained individuals in their place.

PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikander explained that the nurses' contracts have expired and the issue is currently pending resolution with the Establishment Division and the Health Department.

These nurses were initially recruited on a two-year contract during the PTI regime, while their tenure was extended during the PDM regime, but the extended contract expired in December 2023.