CHANDIGARH: An emergency meeting of the Governing Body of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) held here late evening today under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, at CM's residence.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s office informed that The Governing Body of PIMS had taken note of the latest letter of PIMS Medical and Educational Charitable Society written today i.e. 10^th January, 2014, giving update on Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences and their subsequent action plan to resolve various issues.

According to this letter the Electricity supply at PIMS was restored on 6^th Jan,2014, three months’ salaries to the doctors and two months’ salaries to the paramedics, nursing and admin staff had already been disbursed on 7^th Jan, 2014,  besides another one month’s salary was also disbursed on 9th Jan 2014 to all the categories of employees. The letter further said thatremaining salaries would be disbursed on 2^nd Feb. 2014 along with January 2014 salary. 

It was also informed that the doctors had called off their strike and the teaching activities in the institute had also been restarted from 09^th January 2014. The paramedical and nursing staff was still continuing their strike and efforts were being made to convince them to join their duties, whereas efforts were also being made to resolve the issue of pending salaries of outsourced Class IV employees, the letter said.

It was further informed that regular OPD service in the hospital was also restored today (i.e10^th Jan 2014). Whereas, the IPD admissions would be started as soon as nurses, paramedical staff and class IV employees resume their duties. Hopefully IPD admissions likely to be started from 1^st Feb 2014 onwards however efforts were being made to start the patient admissions at the earliest as per the letter. Immediate steps were being taken to fast track the academic sessions and ensuring the lost academic time of students must be covered up. Assessment of existing medical infrastructure and its up-gradation was also being planned. Broad implementation plan for various activities would be submitted by end of Jan 2014, according to the letter.

The Governing Body also took note of letter dated 10^th Jan, 2014 from Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) wherein it was stated that teaching faculty has called off the strike and teaching of MBBS students has started. While expressing satisfaction over the action taken by the PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society, the Governing Body of PIMS unanimously decided that the PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society be directed to provide a detailed roadmap with regard to the Institute as well as compliance to the provisions of the Concession Agreement. The Board directed the Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary to keep a close watch on further developments and also apprise the Board regarding the compliance to the Concession Agreement.

Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Mr. Rakesh Singh, Advocate General Mr. Ashok Aggarwal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. S.K.Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Principal Secretary Medical Education & Research  Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Secretary Expenditure Mr.Jaspal Singh, Prof.(Dr.) K.S.Chugh, Prof.(Dr.) S.B.S.Mann, Dr.S.P.S.Grewal, Director Medical Education Dr.Tejbir Singh and Director PIMS Dr. Vimal Sikri.