NA body finds fault with hospitals lease

A parliamentary panel has called for reviewing the lease granted to big hospitals in the federal capital, stating that there is a need for the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to sign new agreements with the medical institutions in view of public interest.

The National Assembly Sub-Committee for Health convened on Monday. During the meeting, the convener, MNA Amjad Khan, stated that the CDA has provided all relevant documents with regard to land leased to major hospitals in Islamabad.

The convener suggested that all such lease agreements should be reviewed and renewed in the public interest. According to CDA laws, any agreement can be revised or canceled, he said.

He said the Shifa International pays taxes to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and also enjoys certain exemptions while it holds a lease valid until 2052. He said if this lease was signed in 2019, the committee wants to know under what terms it was done.

Committee member Shazia Sobia stated that plots were allocated to the health institutions on a social, not commercial, basis, yet the leases were revised blindly.

The convener proposed referring the issue to the Public Accounts Committee especially since leases were revised without thoroughly checking the status of services provided.

Member Sabin Ghori raised a concern about Shifa International building parking on a green belt, asking the CDA for clarification. The CDA DG Land responded that only the directorate of municipal administration (DMA) could answer that.

The convener stated that under Rule 227, the committee could request data from the FBR. "Until we have the data, we cannot reach a conclusion," he said. However, the FBR representative replied that sharing taxpayer data could create legal issues for him.

Committee members then raised questions about the chairman and members of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) board, arguing that if a private hospital owner chairs the board, it would result in a conflict of interest.

The IHRA CEO told the panel that the board consists of seven members and two positions from the federal government remain unfilled. The Ministry of Health can provide more information on how board members are selected, he said.

The convener asked how someone who owns a hospital and a medical college could serve the public interest while holding such a powerful position. He said the board has held only one meeting to date.

RAYZA KHAN