Governance: ‘Private management of public hospitals unacceptable’
Opposition to protest power cuts at the assembly session
Opposition leader of Punjab Assembly.PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed criticised the government on Sunday for planning to hand over the management of some government hospitals to the private sector.
Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha had announced on Friday that the government would initially hand over the management of public hospitals in 10 cities to private service providers.
“This reflects the government’s incompetence,” Rasheed told The Express Tribune. “How can a government run a province if it cannot run a few government hospitals on its own?”
Rasheed said the government had been running health affairs without a minister.
“There will be no improvement in the health sector unless a health minister is appointed,” he said. “It is disappointing that the country’s most populous province has no health minister. The opposition will raise the matter at the assembly,” he said.
Rasheed said the opposition would also protest against power load shedding during the assembly session resuming on Monday (today). The Pakistan Peoples Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and the Jamaat-i-Islami would be invited to take part in the protest, he said.
“Protest demonstrations against unannounced power outages will be staged in several cities.
The government has failed to overcome the energy crisis… it should stop try to hoodwink people,” he said. He said load shedding during sehr and iftar was testing the patience of the citizens.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2015.
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed criticised the government on Sunday for planning to hand over the management of some government hospitals to the private sector.
Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha had announced on Friday that the government would initially hand over the management of public hospitals in 10 cities to private service providers.
“This reflects the government’s incompetence,” Rasheed told The Express Tribune. “How can a government run a province if it cannot run a few government hospitals on its own?”
Rasheed said the government had been running health affairs without a minister.
“There will be no improvement in the health sector unless a health minister is appointed,” he said. “It is disappointing that the country’s most populous province has no health minister. The opposition will raise the matter at the assembly,” he said.
Rasheed said the opposition would also protest against power load shedding during the assembly session resuming on Monday (today). The Pakistan Peoples Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and the Jamaat-i-Islami would be invited to take part in the protest, he said.
“Protest demonstrations against unannounced power outages will be staged in several cities.
The government has failed to overcome the energy crisis… it should stop try to hoodwink people,” he said. He said load shedding during sehr and iftar was testing the patience of the citizens.
Rasheed said rulers had failed to fulfil the promises made during the election campaign. He said he would submit a resolution in the assembly against the load shedding.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2015.