CM for enhancing public-private partnerships in health sector

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called for strengthening the public-private partnership mode in the health sector for removal of what he termed teething troubles.

Presiding over a meeting on health services launched under the public-private partnership mode in the province on Monday, Murad said the best possible health services should be delivered to the masses by enhancing cooperation with the private sector. 

The meeting was attended by health minister Dr Siknadar Mendhro, principal secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, health secretary Fazal Pechuho, finance secretary Hassan Naqvi and others. The health minister said the District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Badin had been handed over to the Indus Hospital management, which was effectively running its administration. 

The health secretary told the CM that 111 health facilities had been handed over to the Integrated Health services (IHS), 13 facilities in Thatta and Sujawal to the Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF), 39 facilities in Karachi to an organisation named HANDS, while the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Badin had been given to the Indus Hospital. 

The chief minister directed the health and finance departments to resolve all outstanding issues with the private partners.   On the chief minister’s instruction, the finance department released Rs354 million to the DHQ Hospital for construction of waiting areas, washrooms and other facilities for the patients and the visitors.

The provincial government is also operating the Sind Peoples Ambulance Service in partnership with the Amn Foundation in Sujawal and Thatta. The chief minister has approved the ambulance service for Badin and Tando Mohammad Khan districts.

The CM directed the health minister to visit 111 health facilities being operated by the (IHS) and submit progress report to him. The meeting also decided that the health department would facilitate the private partners in expansion of their services.  

Land committee de-notified

The chief minister has dissolved the land committee constituted under the Sindh Government Lands Ordinance.

After receiving complaints against the land committee, the CM approved its de-notification and directed the chief secretary to issue necessary notification.

Headed by a retired high court judge, the land committee had been formed in November, 2001, under the Sindh Government Land (Cancellation of Allotments, Conversion and Exchange) Ordinance of 2001. 

It was authorised to evaluate affairs related to the allotments, conversions and exchange of government lands granted for residential, commercial or industrial purposes at rates lower than market value or in violation of a ban on land allotment from January 1985 till 2000.

The committee had determined the market price in all cases which were leased out from 1985 to 2000 and then, as per the case, regularise or cancel the lands after recovery of the differential amount.

The committee regularised 75 percent of the cases and recovered around Rs9.5 billion as differential amount. But the chief minister had received a number of complaints against the committee.