November 12, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 13, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 11: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has ordered reconstitution of hospital management committees in all government hospitals of the province.

The committees will look after the management of hospitals and will ensure the availability of medicines for patients.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Chief Minister House here on Tuesday. The chief minister presided over the meeting.

He stressed the need for providing better healthcare facilities to patients, especially the poor.

The chief minister also directed the health department to complete all formalities at the earliest for issuance of appointment letters to 1,002 doctors whose cases had been recommended by the Sindh Public Service Commission.

He said he would distribute appointment letters to these doctors at a function which would be held at the Chief Minister House.

The doctors who would get appointment letters include 251 lady doctors and 201 specialists. They will have to fill up a form to commit that they will perform two-year compulsory service in hospitals and health units in their respective villages and districts.

The chief minister, who had approved the increase in the salary of house officer doctors from Rs6,000 to 12,000 per month, also directed the department concerned to submit proposals for paying special allowance to doctors and paramedical staff serving in villages.

He stressed the need to speed up selection, training and appointment process of nurses so that their shortage in hospitals could be overcome.

He said he had asked relevant departments to issue appointment letters to all those candidates for the posts of grade 1 to 15 who had cleared their tests and interviews.He ordered officials to improve the performance of government hospitals and asked the finance department to provide more funds to health institutions in addition to the funds allocated earlier.

Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmad, Chief Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman Additional Chief Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha, Secretary Health Mohammad Hussain Syed, Special Secretary (finance) Syeda Nahid Shah and Secretary to CM Suhail Akbar Shah attended the meeting.