KARACHI, March 6: Another controversy seems to be brewing between provincial and city governments over the taking over of four city government's hospitals by provincial government.

According to a notification issued by Sindh Health Department, the chief minister has accorded four hospitals including Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Qatar Hospital Orangi Town, Saudabad Hospital and Korangi Hospital the status of teaching hospitals and given them under the administrative control of provincial health secretary.

The handing over of these hospitals to provincial government came into effect after the approval of chief minister, who ordered upgradation of these hospitals into teaching hospitals along with five other hospitals.

Well-informed sources said that the city government had prepared a summary for President Musharraf and National Reconstruction Bureau seeking their intervention into the matter, which according to the city government officials was a "total violation of devolution plan".

The officials said that the provincial government was not authorized to take over the institutions devolved in city government under Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001.

It was learnt that President Musharraf and NRB Chairman Daniyal Aziz would be apprised of the highhandedness of Sindh government regarding taking over of many hospitals functioning under city district government of Karachi.

Sources said that any change in the status of any department or institution of the city government amounted to the interference in its smooth functioning and such interference in the affairs of city government would badly affect the spirit of devolution plan.

"The hospitals taken over by provincial government are the best hospitals of city government in terms of performance," an official of city government's health department claimed. He said that the new move would seriously affect the working of all these institutions. In this regard, he referred to Section 14 of SLGO 2001 that clearly states that administrative and financial authority for the management of the institutions devolved in district governments would be exercised by the local governments and any move in violation of this section would be considered illegal.

The city government's health department official alleged that the provincial government had double standards on various issues. He said when the city government in collaboration with an NGO planned to operate a dispensary in Bhit Shah, Keamari Town, for free treatment of patients Sindh government intervened and stopped the city government without any reason.

"The dispensary in Bhit Shah has been inoperative so far depriving the area people from health care facilities due to uncooperative attitude of provincial government," the official added. -PPI