KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resources Ghulam Murtaza Baloch said that a burns centre will be established for the treatment of burn victims of factories and workshops. “Our top-most priority is to improve medical facilities in all hospitals and medical centres running under Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (Sessi).”

He said this while presiding over a meeting of SESSI at its headquarters in Karachi on Friday.

Commissioner Sessi, Gulzar Shaikh briefed the minister about the performance and working of the institution. He said that there are 650,000 registered workers, and their dependents were also looked after. The main mission of this institute is to provide medical care facilities, cash benefits and professional and sustainable improvement.

The social security scheme is providing benefits to certain employees or their dependents in the event of sickness, injury, death, iddat, maternity, disablement pension, survivors’ pension etc.

Medical advisor Sessi, Mumtaz Ali Shaikh briefed the meeting that there are total five hospitals, five medical centres, 42 dispensaries and 48 ambulances in working condition under Sessi all over Sindh. There are sanctioned posts of 80 specialist doctors of which 20 posts are vacant; of 355 sanctioned doctors 130 seats are vacant; of 1,461 posts of officers/paramedical staff, 650 posts are lying vacant. The shortage of doctors and other staff is causing hurdles in proper delivery of services.

The minister ensured his full support to resolve the issues regarding shortage of staff, adding that he would remove hurdles to start the recruitment process in the department.

Mr Baloch further said that he will visit the sites of all ongoing schemes of the labour and human resource department Sindh to monitor the pace of work and quality of material used in construction and renovation.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2018