Merger of health, population welfare depts challenged in SHC

Petitioner claims 960 family planning centres given to PPHI; court seeks replies

A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Mazhar and Justice Arshad Hussain Khan, sought replies on Tuesday from the provincial health and population department and other parties over a plea challenging the merger of the Sindh population welfare department with the Sindh health department.

The petitioner's counsel argued that the merger of two different departments was a violation of law. The entire department is being merged with another department just to please a non-governmental organisation, argued the counsel.

According to the counsel, over 960 family planning centres have been handed over to the Peoples' Primary Healthcare Initiative. Health and population control systems need to be improved further, contended the petitioner's counsel.

The secretary of the population welfare department submitted a reply before the court, which sought replies from other parties, including the provincial health department.

Children's hospital

Separately, the court directed the Sindh government to issue funds for the Sindh Children's Hospital in Nazimabad and asked the Sindh chief secretary and health secretary to submit their reports by November 18 over a plea challenging the closure of the hospital due to lack of funds.

The petitioner's counsel told the court that the hospital was handed over to an organisation, 'Poverty Eradication Initiative,' in 2016 for 10 years. But the government has suspended the payment of funds since 2018, argued the counsel.

The best children's hospital in the province was shut down due to the absence of funds, said the counsel, maintaining that all medical facilities were provided free of charge. The government can get an audit done for the hospital from any agency it wants, argued the counsel.

The court observed that the hospital was facing losses due to the conflict and asked how the facility can be made functional.

Sindh Assistant Advocate-General Shehryar Mehar informed the court that the health secretary has forwarded the summary for resumption of funds for the hospital to the chief minister.

The court directed the relevant secretaries to submit report after releasing funds for the hospital by November 18.

Extension granted

Meanwhile, another bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, granted an extension for arguments on the bail pleas of accused mukhtiarkar Hussain Bordi and others in a reference pertaining to illegal allotment of land in Manghopir.

The two-member bench warned that this was the last time an extension was being granted. The accused will argue the case themselves if their counsels don't appear at the next hearing, remarked the court.

According to the National Accountability Bureau, Bordi and ten others caused loss to the national exchequer by illegal allotment of 24 acres of land in Manghopir.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2020.