A decade on, Children's Hospital still lacks basics

The Sindh Government Children's Hospital will complete 10 years under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement next month, but the facility has seen little improvement in its capacity and continues to face complaints over delayed salaries and inadequate medical services.

The 10-year agreement between the Sindh government and an NGO is set to expire on September 16, 2026. However, the provincial government has yet to announce a decision on the hospital's future.

The hospital was handed over to the NGO under the PPP arrangement on September 16, 2016. Its budget, which stood at around Rs100 million when it was being run directly by the Sindh Health Department, was subsequently increased to Rs440 million and later to Rs780 million.

Despite the substantial increase in funding, hospital employees and patients say there has been no corresponding improvement in treatment facilities or an increase in the number of beds.

The hospital currently has more than 400 employees working under the NGO, while another 65 employees, including the medical superintendent, are posted by the Health Department and receive salaries from the provincial government.

The future of the more than 400 NGO employees has now become uncertain with the PPP agreement nearing its expiry.

Employees have also staged more than 20 protests and strikes over delayed salaries during the 10-year PPP arrangement, with the hospital being forced to suspend services on several occasions.

Employees told The Express Tribune that they had received salaries for only three months since January, with payments made after delays of around five months, while salaries for the remaining five months were still outstanding.

They also claimed that the hospital's X-ray and laboratory services were currently non-functional, adding that patients had faced difficulties accessing treatment since the facility was placed under the PPP arrangement.

The hospital administration confirmed the delay in salary payments in response to questions from The Express Tribune, saying the budget was currently being processed and was expected to be released to the hospital by next week. The administration said employees would then be paid their salaries along with outstanding dues.

The hospital was inaugurated in 2004 by then prime minister Benazir Bhutto and was initially operated by the Sindh Health Department. Located on 16 acres, the facility had 50 beds at the time.

In 2013, a new building was constructed at the hospital in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), giving the facility a distinctive position among children's hospitals in Karachi. At the time, the hospital received an annual budget of around Rs100 million and provided treatment services until late at night.

However, employees claim that the hospital has not performed any major paediatric surgery from 2004 to 2025 and largely provides treatment for common childhood illnesses. Children requiring treatment for complex conditions are referred to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) or Civil Hospital Karachi.

Patient Rabia said children suffering from complicated diseases were routinely referred to NICH or Civic Hospital.