KARACHI: The Sindh High Court summoned the provincial secretaries for finance and health regarding delay in release of funds to install equipment and facilities at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi to rectify the deficiencies highlighted in a judicial inquiry, it emerged on Saturday.

A two-judge SHC bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto also asked the secretary for the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) to be in attendance on April 11 with the information about appointment of medical officers and staff at one of the three major public health facilities in the metropolis.

The bench again directed the district and sessions judge (South), who conducted an inquiry into the disappearance of a child as well as in the administrative affairs of the medical facility, to file a report confirming that the information he recorded in his order regarding the Civil Hospital was accurate in all respects and to point out any inaccuracy.

The SHC also directed a senior superintendent of police to use all modern devices to locate the whereabouts of a three-year-old child who went missing from the hospital.

The bench was hearing a petition of a woman who submitted that she took her son to the hospital for a check-up, but he went missing when she was busy in obtaining a token in the OPD in May last year.

Orders expeditious disposal of pre-arrest bail pleas

When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, SSP Dr Sumair contended that efforts were made to recover the child and an administrator of information technology and doctor of the hospital were also interrogated.

The bench observed that more efforts were required and asked the SSP to use all modern devices and media to find the missing child and submit a progress report at the next hearing.

Shortage of funds

The bench said it was informed in the last hearing that a summary seeking Rs1,100 million to purchase machines and equipment had been placed before the cabinet committee concerned for consideration and the health secretary had submitted that the approval would be received within 15 days.

However, medical superintendent Dr Robina Bashir said that a response was yet to be received from the higher authorities in that regard. The SHC directed the health secretary to appear in person with the finance secretary on the next hearing and update the court about the purchase of MRI and CT scan machines.

The doctor submitted that she had now taken over the charge of medical superintendent and contended that all the 64 CCTV cameras installed at the hospitals were functional.

She further said that as far as the machines and equipment were concerned, tenders had been received and successful bidders identified and work orders would be issued to complete the task in due course. However, such efforts had been hampered by a shortage of funds and a request had been made for additional funds to the finance department.

Therefore, the bench directed the finance secretary to be in attendance to explain progress made in release of such funds.

Referring to one of its previous orders, the SHC bench also asked the health secretary to provide information about deficiencies, if any, in other government hospitals of the province.

Shortage of doctors, paramedical staff

The bench was informed by the SPSC that 302 candidates had been selected and would be shortly appointed and the remaining posts had again been advertised, adding that 108 special cadre doctors were selected and recommendations had been sent to the health secretary.

However, the SHC observed that the SPSC had not mentioned in the report about the recruitment of staff in BS-1 to BS-5 and previously the MS had submitted that the appointment of such staff would be made within two weeks.

Subsequently, the SHC ordered the SPSC secretary to appear and provide details of appointments of doctors and paramedical staff.

Directive for district judge

The bench regretted that no report had been received from the district and sessions judge (South) pursuant to its last order in which he was ordered to file a written report confirming that the information recorded in the order in respect of Civil Hospital was accurate in all respects and to point out any inaccuracy.

The bench again directed the district judge to file a written statement before the next hearing and also asked the registrar of the SHC to ensure that such a report be filed before the next date of hearing.

In October, the same bench had ordered a judicial inquiry after health and hospital officials contended that the CCTV cameras at the OPD were not working on the day of the incident. Many deficiencies were highlighted in a judicial inquiry report.

Disposal of pre-arrest bail pleas

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh on Saturday asked the judges of SHC for expeditious disposal of pre-arrest bail applications.

The chief justice also issued directives to all the branches and circuit courts of the SHC to fix criminal appeals before the benches for regular hearing.

According to a letter issued by a member of the inspection team-II of the SHC on a directive of the chief justice to the additional registrars of the Sukkur bench, Hyderabad and Larkana circuit courts, the progress reports placed before the chief justice said that there was a backlog of pre-arrest bail applications: 223 at the principal seat at Karachi, 112 at Sukkur, 292 at Hyderabad and 49 at Larkana.

“It is hoped that the learned judges seized with the pre-arrest bail applications, apart from NAB matters, will decide the fresh and already pending bail applications within two weeks, discouraging the tendency of adjournments. However, in the presence of reasonable and cogent grounds requests for adjournments be acceded to, fixing the same on next working day,” said the order passed by the chief justice.

On March 14, Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, during the hearing of an appeal against an SHC order, deplored that the SHC had taken around five years to decide a bail application.

He had also expressed surprise over the inordinate delay in the disposal of bail pleas and said that the appellant had remained on interim pre-arrest bail for over five years, which could not be justified.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2019