HYDERABAD, Feb 21: Members of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Senate at its first meeting held on Saturday deplored prevailing conditions at the university hospital.

They proposed that immediate steps should be taken either to improve existing facilities at the hospital- including building, equipment, water supply and drainage- or the university should establish its own hospital.

The adviser to the Sindh chief minister on health affairs, Mohammad Noman Saigal, presided over the meeting on behalf of the Sindh governor/chancellor. Besides the senate members, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Sindh health department, and the People's Medical College principal.

Responding to concerns voiced by the senate members and the vice-chancellor regarding the existing situation at the university hospital, Mr Saigal proposed to hold a joint meeting of the LUMHS and the Sindh health department with the governor to resolve the problems.

The health adviser also proposed public-private partnership for improvement in the hospital conditions and provision of new patient-care facilities.

The meeting resolved to follow the rules and code of the University of Sindh till the LUMHS prepared such a code. It further resolved that the code would be drafted before the next meeting of the senate.

The senate approved annual reports of the university for 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 and expenditure statement for the two years.

It also passed the university budget estimates for 2003-2004.

Professor Allah Bachayo Memon, dean, faculty of medicine and allied sciences, was unanimously elected a representative of the senate on the finance and planning committee of the university.