NICH to have satellite centres across the province

First of these facilities to be established in Mirpurkhas

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced on Monday the decision to establish satellite centres of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in all divisional headquarters with the first satellite centre to be established in Mirpurkhas.

The decision was announced during a meeting at the CM House, held to resolve all outstanding issues of NICH. Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Adviser to CM on Information, Law and Anti-corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Najam Shah, Health Secretary Saeed Awan, NICH Director Syed Jamal Raza, Additional Secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi and other relevant officers attended the meeting.

The CM was informed that since 2011, no fresh recruitments have been made at NICH, besides qualified professionals have not been promoted and no new equipment has been added. He was informed that the NICH has been facing difficulties in improving its services due to this.

The institute has a sanctioned strength of 1,035 medical and para-medical staff but only 674 employees are working, leaving a shortfall of 361 staff members.

The CM approved promotions of 43 professionals employed at the institute. He also approved new posts of 150 medical and para-medical staff members and directed the health and finance secretaries to hold a meeting with the NICH director to work out a proposal for a skilled nursing facility (SNF) for the efficient functioning of the institute.

The CM said he wants NICH to follow the pattern of the National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD) and work under an autonomous board of directors which would take decisions on all administrative and financial matters and run the satellite centres. The first satellite centre would be established in Mirpurkhas which would cater to the entire division with a particular focus on Thar to control maternal and child nutrition issues there, he added.

He approved the purchase of a new generator and an MRI machine while issuing directives to the health department to move a summary for formal approval. The finance department was directed to release the budget allocated to NICH so it could meet its expenditures and maintain its equipment, medicines and other affairs.

NICH is a 500-bed hospital currently and the CM asked the institute's director to submit a detailed plan for its expansion.

Upon being told that the institute has limited facilities for staff accommodation and most of the existing facilities are occupied by unauthorised persons, the CM directed his chief secretary to remove all unauthorised persons from the staff accommodation facilities with the help of district administration.

The CM stressed that the provision of quality medical facilities to each child of the province was essential.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2019.