Where Does PIMS Hospital’s ‘Billions in Budget’ Go?

At the time of the incident, 16 newborns were present in the nursery of the Mother and Child Health Care Centre (MCH). Only one baby was safely rescued.

The tragedy has once again raised questions about the facilities and resources available at PIMS, one of the major government hospitals in Islamabad.

PIMS is a key public healthcare facility in the federal capital, providing subsidised treatment and catering to a high demand for government medical services.

According to figures, the federal government allocated a total of Rs22 billion to PIMS over the past three years.

Official documents show that Rs6.84 billion was allocated to PIMS during the last financial year. However, the hospital administration spent Rs7.51 billion, exceeding its allocated budget by Rs670 million.

The hospital administration was also provided with an additional Rs660 million during the previous financial year.

For the current financial year, Rs7.63 billion has been allocated to PIMS.

The Mother and Child Health Care Centre has been allocated Rs1.069 billion, compared with Rs855.6 million allocated to the centre during the previous financial year.

The current year's budget includes Rs356.9 million for employees' salaries and Rs332.7 million for staff allowances.

Of the salary allocation, Rs200 million has been earmarked for officers' salaries, while Rs156.5 million has been allocated for other staff.

The centre has also been allocated Rs270 million for operating expenses.

The budget includes Rs11 million for repairs and maintenance, Rs7 million for machinery and equipment, and Rs4 million for buildings and construction work.

A further Rs8.5 million has been allocated for scholarships, while Rs6 million has been set aside for stores, stock, plant and machinery.

Another Rs6 million has been allocated for pensions of retired employees.

The fire and the deaths of the newborns have intensified concerns over whether existing hospital infrastructure, emergency systems and safety arrangements are adequate to protect patients in one of Islamabad's largest public healthcare facilities.