Wahab calls for abrogation of medical institutes ordinance

Slams federal govt for 'playing with Sindh's hospitals'

KARACHI:

Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab has slammed the Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf-led federal government for issuing a notification pertaining to the constitution of an independent board of governors under the Medical Teaching Institutes Ordinance, 2020 for three of Karachi's hospitals- Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre JPMC), National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH)- which have been the bone of contention between the Centre and Sindh for long.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Wahab said, "The Centre is playing with the hospitals of Sindh, which we strictly condemn," and called for terminating the ordinance.

"Abrogating the ordinance will be in the best interest of the country," he said.

The spokesperson further pointed out that the ordinance under which the board of governors was formed was applicable to only those hospitals that were added to the Schedule of Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Ordinance, 2020.

However, the hospitals in question are not added to the schedule, he contended.

A notification for the inclusion of the three hospitals in the schedule was issued by the federal government in January this year.

'No relief'

He said at present, the government needed to focus on providing relief to people, but it prioritised taking control of the three hospitals.

"Health workers are being troubled instead of being relieved," said Wahab, adding that the three hospitals' budgets and the payment of salaries to staff could become a problems if the health facilities weren't run properly.

Wahab went on to say, "But the health secretary, who is in Islamabad, wouldn't be affected."

Money matters

The spokesperson maintained that people from across the country visited the three hospitals in Karachi and it was the Sindh government that paid for their treatment.

According to him, the provincial government released Rs3.42 billion for JPMC in the current fiscal year and Rs3.8 billion for the NICVD.

Wahab claimed Rs12 billion had been provided to the three hospitals by the Sindh government, when the federal government hadn't spent a single penny on the facilities.

On the other hand, he said, the Centre didn't have the resources to run the three hospitals.

Wahab further stated that in a meeting on July 2, 2019 it was decided that the three hospitals be handed over to the Sindh government since the federal government couldn't bear their expenses.

"We still maintain that the Sindh government can manage the hospitals better," he added.

"The Sindh government has spend on the hospitals more than anyone else. Don't snatch them away from Sindh."

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2021.