Sindh condemns Centre for fixing prices of drugs

CM says health and education province’s domain after 18th Amendment,

but Sindh govt helpless as Centre still making policies; ground-breaking ceremony

of NICVD rehabilitation project held

Karachi

The Sindh chief minister said on Saturday that he was helpless in the matter of the increase in medicine prices as even though the sectors of health and education had been devolved to the province, the Centre was still holding on to policymaking powers in this connection and fixing the rates of drugs.

“We have strong reservations over the federal government’s intervention in the health and education sectors,” Qaim Ali Shah added.

“Despite the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Centre is making and implementing policies in both these sectors and the provincial government has no role in fixing medicine prices. The Centre attitude is condemnable.”

The chief minister was talking to reporters at the ground-breaking ceremony of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases rehabilitation project.

Felicitating the philanthropists and the management of the NICVD for coming up with a multi-billion rupees project for the revamping of the cardiovascular institute, he hoped that all buildings and towers planned as part of the scheme would be completed within two years.

Shah said the provincial government had spent Rs6 billion on the construction of the Civil Hospital Karachi’s trauma centre.

“This trauma centre is the only of its kind in the entire country but the media did not praise the provincial government for its efforts,” he regretted.

“But I hope that you will praise the NICVD administration, the philanthropists and us for the revamping of the NICVD where every patient would be provided with quality treatment free of charge.”

The chief minister said that NICVD was in shambles when he had visited the institute in 2010.

He added that heart patients had to wait for one or two months before they could be examined at that time.

Shah said after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, this institute along with the JPMC was handed over to the provincial government but some doctors approached the high court against the devolution and the transfer was stayed.

Fortunately, he added, the NICVD became an independent institute and Dr Nadeem Qamar was appointed its executive director, who came up with the revamping project.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Qamar said the revamping plan comprised complete refurbishment of the existing system and services by increasing staff at all levels.

 “Besides focusing on improving the existing facilities, we are also planning to buy new medical equipment,” he added.

Dr Qamar said the NICVD was in a bad shape when he taken over as its executive director. He added that now there were 11 echo machines where 250 tests were conducted every day.

"Under the primary angioplasty programme, the NICVD has carried out 2,634 procedures from May 18 to date – around 10 procedures each day.

Last month, 1,300 surgeries were performed at the NICVD.

Dr Qamar said that the revamping project comprised the construction of a new OPD complex, a paediatric cardiac institute, the extension of the emergency room, and a new tower.

He added that the construction work would start by the mid of the current year and completed in phases to create new space so that departments could be move there.

Overall, he explained, the entire revamping of the NICVD would be completed within three years of its commencement.

NICVD Welfare Trust chairman Shahid Abdullah also spoke on the occasion and introduced the architects of the projects at the NICVD. He said several pharmaceutical companies had assured that they would financially assist the NICVD in the revamping project.

Rich tributes were paid to the founding executive director of the NICVD, late Professor Dr Shaukat Syed, and his wife, who was present at the ceremony and performed the ground-breaking of the OPD complex by planting a tree there.