KARACHI, June 23: The kitchen facilities of the Civil Hospital Karachi has been privatized.

Official sources told Dawn on Saturday that the administration of the Civil Karachi had signed an agreement with a private concern which prepared food for as many as 1,500 patients every day. They added that the agreement had come into effect on May 1.

“Under the agreement, the administration of the Civil Hospital Karachi pays Rs440,000 every month and the private concern spends Rs1,000,000 on a monthly basis.”

The agreement, the sources added, would remain valid for five years. Besides, the private concern had decided the menu in consultation with the administration of the Civil Hospital. When contacted, the medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Noshad A. Shaikh, admitted that the kitchen of the hospital was being run by a private concern. He said: “The project was undertaken by the administration of the Civil Hospital Karachi as part of private-public partnership. There are many philanthropists in the city who want to take part in activities aimed at ameliorating the lot of the poor. All they need is an assurance that their money would not be squandered.”

He said that previously the administration of the hospital used to make do with Rs450,000 every month. At present, he added, with Rs1.4 million every month the hospital had been able to do much more for patients.

Dr Noshad said the annual budgetary allocation for the Civil Hospital, which had 1,768 beds, was Rs250 million. ”The infrastructure of the hospital is very large. It has 36 special units. The turnover of patients at the outpatient department is 3,000 patients and at emergency is 800 patients. As many as 100 surgeries are performed on a daily basis. With 1,500 doctors and 3,000 paramedical staff, it is no wonder that 60 per cent of the Rs250 million annual budgetary allocation goes towards payment of salaries.”

The official sources said that recently an emergency operation theatre had been completed which had also been constructed with the money by philanthropists. “The philanthropists had provided Rs8 million with the administration of Civil Hospital Karachi purchased equipment for two operation theatres.”

They added that under another such project — a paediatrics intensive care unit — was in pipeline. “The government is providing Rs8 million and some philanthropists have also provided Rs8 million. The project will be completed within two months.”

The official sources said that another project — an orthopaedic operation theatre — would be completed soon.

The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Noshad A. Shaikh, said a computerised information and registration centre had been established at the gate number 2. “Previously, people coming to visit patients, especially those coming from the interior of Sindh, would wander from one ward to another looking for their patients. Now all patients are registered at the computer department where admission and discharge data is also maintained. Computer attendant can guide the visitors easily.”