Govt hospitals, schools in pathetic state: PTI MPA

Says results of spending on health and education remain invisible

KARACHI:

Opposition lawmaker belonging to Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) taking part in the budget speech said that the allocation for health and education sectors in Karachi present a grim picture where billions of rupees worth of schemes were lying non-functional.

"There are three hospitals in district West and Keamari that have been built with huge amount, but even after the passage of five to six years, the buildings are lying idle. The drug mafia and land mafia have taken refuge in the incomplete structures," said PTI MPA Saeed Afridi.

In his budget speech, sharing the details on the floor of house, he said, "A 50-bed hospital in Pathan Colony was finished five years ago, but it has yet to become functional," he said, adding that the hospital comes under the preview of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) that is currently headed by Sindh government's representative Murtaza Wahab.

"We also approached Former Mayor Wasim Akhtar, he gave an excuse of funds and other resources, but since KMC is now under PPP government, so they should expedite the process to run the hospital," he said. Another 50-bed hospital in Kasba Colony also needs the attention of the authorities concerned as the hospital building gives a deserted look.

"The state-of-art hospital was built by Sindh government five year ago. I have raised the issue with Sindh government officials many times to run it, but no one pays heed to me," he said adding that another 200-bed hospital named after Shaheed Benazir Bhutto has been under construction in Moominabad for last 10 years and no one looks serious to finalize the scheme.

Talking about education, he said that in last ten years, Sindh government has spent more than Rs1.53 trillion on education, but most of the schools in his area that falls in the Baldia Town are deprived of water, sanitation and other basic facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2022.