Pakistan, Dec. 31 -- Employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) have warned of resistance against a proposal to make the hospital's cardiac centre an autonomous body. They fear the move could pave the way for privatisation and affect free treatment for patients.

According to officials, a meeting of the committee formed to examine the establishment of an autonomous cardiac centre was recently held in Islamabad. The session was chaired by retired Maj Gen Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani and the Special Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

The meeting discussed legally viable and financially sustainable options for granting autonomy to the cardiac centre while protecting the service conditions of existing employees. Participants...