January 15, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 14, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 14: Two of the government-run teaching hospitals in the city, Civil Hospital Karachi and Lyari General Hospital, have got the status of autonomous institutions and would be run under a board of governors in the future, it was learnt officially.

The board of governors (BoGs) constituted in the case of the CHK and LGH, which is first of a series of at least five BoGs in the province, would take two to three weeks time for a formal functioning, as some appointments and nominations are yet to be finalized by the Sindh chief minister.

Chairman of the CHK and LGK board, Abu Shamim M. Arif, a retired civil officer, assumed the office under a three-year contract with the Sindh government, on Friday. He visited some offices at the CHK on Saturday as well.

About six months back, the Sindh Health Department had issued notification regarding constitutions of separate boards of governors, as principal governing bodies, in all the government teaching hospitals of the province.

The overall control, direction and supervision of the affairs of the institutions shall vest in the BoG, which may exercise all power, perform all functions and do all acts and things which may be exercised, performed and done by the institution. The BoG may request the provincial government to sanction additional Grant-in-Aid on a case to case basis.

According to a government’s notification of June 16, 2005, the BoG shall approve overall plans, policies and programmes of the institutes in relation to the approved policy of the government; examine and approve teaching and research programmes; examine and approve the annual report and evaluation report of the institute for submission to the provincial government; approve the annual development and non-development budget of the institute; consult the national academic bodies and other relevant statutory organizations or the government, where necessary; and ensure that the government servants are provided treatment according to their entitlement.

An executive committee headed by medical superintendents concerned will also work under the BoG to look after the day to day functioning of the hospitals and make all appointments, transfers, posting of employees up to Grade-16, subject to approval by the board, and submit recommendations for the appointment/transfer/posting of employees above Grade-16.

The BoG will comprise five members from the government sector, including chairman and vice-chairman, and five from the private sector, while health minister or health adviser to the chief minister will be the chief patron.

Briefing newsmen on Saturday, Sindh Health Secretary Prof Dr Noshad A. Shaikh said that the chairman and vice-chairman, DUHS VC Dr Masood Hameed Khan, as well as three other ex-officio members, including health secretary, additional health secretary and medical superintendents of the CHK and LGK, Dr Kaleem Butt and Dr Capt Mukhtar Khawaja were available with the board. And the city nazim will also be a member of the board, he added.

However, appointment of a finance director, who will also be a member of the BoG, nominations against the post of one renowned NGO, one renowned philanthropist, two renowned businessmen would be finalized by the competent authority shortly on the recommendation of the chairman of the BoG, he added.

To a question, he said that the formation of the BoG for teaching hospitals was a step in line with the government’s policy of devolution and was aimed at improving the working of the hospitals.

Since the government lacked the funds it exactly needed to meet its obligations in the health sector, it is expected that philanthropists and businessmen inducted in the BoG would also think for bringing in some fund from the private sector as well, he replied to another question.

The secretary said that the Sindh government was also working on the privatization of basic health units and it was likely that at least six of the units outside Karachi would be given under public-private partnership scheme, which would certainly ease the burden on the public exchequer and result in an improved functioning of those units.

He said that in response to an advertisement the Sindh Health Department received 20-22 applications for the posts of chairman in five proposed BoGs, including one from Abu Shamim Arif, out of which a panel of three applicants was forwarded for selection by the high-ups. There is no reason for sensing any undue favour in case of any appointment for BoG as the government believes in transparency and fairness, he added.

When asked to give his impression about the CHK and the problems hindering the delivery of a quality health care system, he said that he had not been a frequent visitor to the institutions and would like to visit each and every department or section of the CHK and LGK personally before reaching to any conclusion and taking remedial measures.

The BoG would surely work to improve the health delivery system at the two hospitals in question, he added.

Present on the occasion, DUHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan said that he did not think that there would be any clash of working between the BoG and the varsity administration as the university would be handling the academic affairs as usual.

According to CHK MS Dr Kaleem Butt, his hospital had 1,860 beds, with 1,542 paramedical staff, 475 house officers and 434 registered medical officers, while its budgetary allocations as approved by the Sindh government were about Rs958,373 million, out of which Rs697.627 million was spent on staff salary and among other expenses Rs120 million was spent for the procurement of medicines.

He hoped that the BoG would order for the appointments of around 200, grade-1 to 15 employees at the CHK, including the vacant posts of sweepers and security staff.

To another question he said that some of the CHK doctors working on detailment at other hospitals could also be called back to improve the services scenario at the hospital.