SC directs re-opening of Bone Marrow Transplant Centre at PIMS

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court has directed the authorities concerned to re-open Bone Marrow Transplant Centre (BMTC) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad and restoration of its dismissed employees and payment of the arrears to them.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo moto notice of reported closing down of BMTC at PIMS, Islamabad on Monday.

During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice remarked that the apex court has to interfere if the peoples’ problems are not addressed by the authorities concerned. The notice was taken on the application of parents of the children getting treatment there.

The applicants had stated that bone marrow transplant was the only cure available to children with thalassemia major and around 500 children were on the waiting list for transplants.

It further stated that doctors, nurses and staff at the centre had not been paid their salaries since July 2017 and they had now been told that their contracts will not be extended owing to administrative issues.

The transplant at a private hospital costs around Rs.3 million, whereas at PIMS it was Rs. 1 million of which Rs.6 lac are being donated by Pakistan Baitul Mal.

The applicants also asserted that there was apprehension of closure of the Cardiac Centre, while the liver transplant unit at PIMS had already been closed and the same was apparently for the benefit of private hospitals that were charging more than the average citizen could afford.

Meanwhile, Dr. Amjid apprised the court that the main reason behind closing down the center was that the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), even after repeated acknowledgment by the department, was not appointing two doctors and a nurse to run the affairs.