KARACHI: The Sindh government has asked its finance ministry to release Rs497.52 million to the health ministry for establishment of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in Larkana during the current financial year, it emerged on Monday.

The provincial government asked the finance ministry that pursuant to an approval accorded by the Sindh chief minister for Rs497.52m as grant-in-aid for establishment of the SIUT hospital in Larkana, the finance officials placed the funds at the disposal of the administrative department.

It added that the health authorities would further disburse the same to the quarters concerned after fulfilment of all formalities during the current fiscal year.

The break-up of the funds show that some Rs49.2m would be allocated for the building, renovation and construction of the hospital while another Rs312m would be spent as the cost for medical equipment and the remaining Rs136m would be the recurrent cost.

A letter sent to the finance ministry said the above amount of Rs497.52m had been sanctioned in anticipation of provision of the budgetary allocation, which would be met by way of re-appropriation of funds or by obtaining a supplementary grant in due course.

SIUT founder Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi selected a building to establish the SIUT Larkana in August. The renowned urologist visited the old building of the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), which had lately been vacated, and two new blocks constructed adjacent to it and agreed to start the health facility there.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2017