PIMS BCC on Verge of ‘Complete Collapse’, Dr Tariq Calls for Urgent Action to Save Specialised Facility

Former BCC Chief urges health ministry to restore BCC to January 2025 structure, appoint qualified burn surgeon as head, reverse staff transfers and probe alleged misuse of funds and administrative changes.

Hamid Khan Wazir

ISLAMABAD: Former head of the state-of-the-art Burn Care Centre (BCC) at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal has called for urgent intervention to prevent the vital public health facility from what he described as “complete collapse”, demanding that the centre be restored to its original shape and structure as of January 2025.

Dr Tariq Iqbal, founder of the BCC at PIMS Islamabad, said the vital health facility was now on the verge of collapse following his retirement, after he had successfully run it for 17 years as one of the country’s leading centres for the treatment of all types of burn injuries. 

In a letter, available with The Global Times, the former BCC PIMS head urged the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) to order a high-level inquiry to determine responsibility for the facility’s deterioration and take immediate steps to restore the highly specialised centre to its original condition.

Dr Tariq superannuated from PIMS after 35 years of service in various clinical and administrative positions, culminating in his tenure as Vice Chancellor of SZABMU and Head of BCC PIMS. He currently serves as Advisor International at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, UK.
He alleged that the then Executive Director, PIMS, violated established rules by appointing allegedly “blue-eyed” Dr Abdul Khaliq, who lacked specialist training in burn surgery and did not meet FPSC requirements, thereby ruining the state-of-the-art facility.

He said Dr Muhammad Saaiq, the senior-most Burns/BCC-PIMS faculty member, holding FCPS (Plastic Surgery), FCPS (Surgery) and MHPE, was selected through FPSC on December 10, 2002, fully trained in burn care, and promoted to Assistant Professor of Burns Surgery on May 25, 2011, but was overlooked for the centre’s leadership. Dr Tariq further alleged that senior, highly trained burn-care staff were posted elsewhere, compromising specialised patient care.

In the letter, Dr Tariq alleged that the new administration changed the name of BCC-PIMS to Plastic & Burn Reconstructive Surgery (PBRS) without formal approval, undermining its core mission as a dedicated national burn-care facility. He said the move diluted the centre’s mandate despite PIMS having a separate Plastic Surgery Department since 1992, with its own inpatient ward, operating theatres and OPD. He alleged that the department was subsequently closed and its plastic-surgery patients shifted to the Burn Center, placing additional pressure on its budget and infrastructure and compromising facilities specifically allocated for the treatment of burn injuries.

“Not only are funds and resources meant for burn patients being diverted, but the already limited beds for burn trauma patients are now being occupied by plastic-surgery patients,” he lamented.

Burns are the world’s fourth most common form of trauma, with South Asia reporting an estimated 187–243 adult burn cases per 100,000 people annually. Children and youth account for about 22.5% of burn cases, with 42% occurring among those aged 5–16. Pakistan lacks comprehensive national data on burn injuries, making the country’s annual burden difficult to quantify. Globally, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that burns cause around 180,000 deaths each year.

According to the details, Prof Tariq initiated the project in 2003 by preparing the PC-I for a state-of-the-art BCC at PIMS. The facility was completed in July 2007 and inaugurated by the President of Pakistan on December 6, 2007. It was established to treat all types of burn injuries with 177 dedicated staff, a separate budget, and a super-specialty programme to train burn surgeons.

Prof Tariq served as its Administrative and Clinical Head from 2007 until his retirement in January 2025. During his tenure, the centre gained national and international recognition and treated over 250,000 patients. He also introduced advanced wound-healing protocols, including synthetic skin transplantation.

He further introduced Pakistan’s first Master’s programme in Burn Surgery, which trained several specialists but was later discontinued, leaving residents facing serious training difficulties and seeking legal remedies.

Dr Tariq demanded that the headship of the BCC be entrusted to Dr Muhammad Saaiq, whom he described as a qualified, dedicated and experienced burn surgeon who meets the legal and academic criteria to advance specialised burn care. He also called for restoration of the dedicated Plastic Surgery Department at PIMS and the transfer of all plastic-surgery patients back to Surgical Ward-I.

He urged restoration of the BCC to its original structure and functioning as of January 2025, with the cost of replacing or restoring equipment recovered from those responsible. He further demanded cancellation of all allegedly unauthorised changes in the BCC’s nomenclature and postings/transfers of skilled staff made after January 20, 2025, along with a high-level inquiry, particularly into the alleged diversion of BCC funds by the In-Charge and Executive Director.