ISLAMABAD: Employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) who have been demanding the hospital to be separated from the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University so that their status as an employee of the federal government is ensured, will start their protests on Monday.

Pims Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram insisted there is no threat to the employees` status and that though it was their right to protest, suspension of services will not be tolerated.

Chairman of the Joint Action Committee Syed Manzar Abbas Naqvi said employeesof the hospital did not want to suspend services as it was a matter of people`s lives.

During the last PPP government, parliament passed the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad Bill 2013 despite criticism from MQM and PMLN, which was then in opposition. The bill was moved by the then Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Nazar Mohammad Gondal.

Pims was then upgraded to a medical university and was empowered to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions.

However, the welfare hospital became affiliated with the university and with time, treatment expenses are increasing.

The status of employees is also gradually changing from that of civil servant as they have been offered to become employees of Pims, an autonomous body. Quotas for appointing children of employees and their enrolment in various courses are also being withdrawn and they will have to pay for medical treatment first and later apply for reimbursement.

Pims employees have protested manytimes and have now announced they will protest again from Monday.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Naqvi said though the employees have protested many times, the administration is yet to listen to what they are demanding.

`We are facing a lot of problems. The Establishment Division and other ministries send back our files because they consider us employees of a private entity. The Estate Office excludes us from the waiting list for government accommodation and the Federal Government Housing Foundation may also declare us the employees of a private or autonomous company,` he said.

Mr Naqvi added that though Pims has become a university, the Higher E ducation Commission is yet to release funds for it because it cannot do so for a hospital.

`We think we will soon be asked to go to Polyclinic as that is where government employees are treated,` he said.

Pims has been increasing fee and decreasing facilities for poor people, he said, adding that private clinics were established at the hospital to reiterate thatPims can earn more if allowed to charge fees in the morning as well.

`MNA (retired) Maj Tahir Iqbal tabled a bill in 2014 for separating the hospital from the university, which is pending. The CADD minister once supported us when we were protesting against the PPP. He should come to support us now as well,` Mr Naqvi said.

Employees of the hospital came to work with red bands on their arms on July 12 and no one thought of addressing their issues, he said.

`We will now be protesting inside the hospital though services will not be stoppe d as it is a matter of saving lives,` he said.

Talking to Dawn, the Pims VC maintained that it was stated in the rules that those who chose to are Pims employees and that the remaining work for the federal government.

`I will call the employees in the morning and try to convince them that they should not hold protests because their concerns are not genuine. They will not be allowed to stop or disturb the provision of services to patients,` he said.