Sharing responsibility: Govt to hand over control of hospitals to NGOs

Around 32 NGOs have approached Sindh govt after this decision, and govt has shortlisted 12 of them

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has decided to transfer the control of some government hospitals to reputable NGOs under the public-private partnership initiatives.

This decision was made at a meeting presided over by provincial chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at CM House on Friday. According to provincial health secretary Iqbal Durrani, the idea behind this scheme is to improve and ensure the provision of efficient healthcare service to the people of Sindh through a performance-based partnership.

"Around 32 NGOs have approached us after this decision, and we have shortlisted 12 of them," he said, adding that Aga Khan hospital, Aman Foundation, Merton International and Indus hospital had expressed their interest in participating in the scheme on the basis of partnership, while Bahria Foundation had shown its willingness to adopt some hospitals by voluntarily taking complete responsibility for them.



Durrani explained that in the first phase of the plan, taluka hospitals and basic health centres will be handed over to the private sector, followed by civil hospitals in the next phase. He said that the draft agreement will be finalised within the next 48 hours.

The proposed draft of the agreement was presented by the health department at the meeting, requesting suggestions from participants to make it more feasible and acceptable to all stakeholders.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sherry Rehman advised them to update the draft with reference to future challenges, saying that it should clearly incorporate clauses pertaining to administrative powers, the sharing of responsibilities or the handing over of full responsibility in such a way that no party or stakeholder should be disturbed. "The government should make legislation that protects this intervention," she said, adding that civil, district and taluka hospitals will be handed over to the NGOs.

Meanwhile, the CM said that the purpose of the initiative was to provide modern health facilities. "We want to make the results of the billions of rupees of investment available to the people more quickly," he said.

The meeting was also informed that the government planned to recruit 1,155 more doctors. "Around 430 doctors have been appointed recently, while the recruitment process of the remaining 533 male doctors and 172 female doctors is underway," said Durrani. "The priority is to strengthen and equip hospitals in Tharparkar district and other remote and arid areas of the province."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2014.