KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Friday that he had not received the order of the Supreme Court in which the task of removal of encroachments was entrusted to him.

“I have read tickers on news channels, let the order come then I’ll be in a position to comment on it,” he said.

The chief minister, who was talking to media after inaugurating the Paediatric Complex at the Indus Hospital, ruled out an impression of any imminent reshuffle in the provincial cabinet, saying: “My cabinet is still incomplete; therefore, a reshuffle is out of question. However, it can be reshuffled when more ministers are inducted to complete the cabinet.”

Terms the governor’s statement about new provinces in Sindh ‘unreasonable’

When his comments were sought regarding a statement of the Sindh governor regarding division of Sindh by creating more provinces, the chief minister said it was an unreasonable statement, which he should not have given.

Dissatisfaction over state of cleanliness

In reply to a question regarding the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), he said the authority had been given clear directives to improve cleanliness and sweeping works in South and East districts.

“I am also not satisfied with the sweeping work in Malir, therefore, the contracting firms have been given notices,” he said.

Talking about price hike of fruit, vegetables and other eatables, the chief minister said that he had activated the divisional administration.

The commissioners, deputy commissioners and their other staffers were on the roads for checking quality of eatables and to enforce price control. “During three days of Ramazan, the commissioner has collected Rs6 million fine from shopkeepers [and] stall owners for resorting to artificial price hike,” he said, adding that prices had gone up due to various other factors, policies and inefficiencies on which he said he would talk at an appropriate time.

Praises hospital for new initiative

Earlier, addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Paediatric Complex, CM Shah said: “The Indus Hospital has a special place in my heart for its valuable contribution to the healthcare system of Pakistan. Fortunately, I’ve been a part of this noble cause since long. I’m happy to see Indus Hospital evolving into a country-wide healthcare network.

“I’m delighted to see the state-of-the-art paediatric complex which along with other diseases treats childhood cancer as well. It’s one of the leading paediatric oncology centres of the country. I take this opportunity to salute the team for their hard work. I hereby pledge that I’ll support their vision in my personal and official capacity and I urge others to do the same.”

After inaugurating the complex, Mr Shah visited the 300-bedded hospital, where 115 beds are dedicated for paediatric services which include 85 beds for paediatric oncology patients.

As of June 2018, about 9,000 children have been treated for cancer and blood diseases there.

Dr Abdul Bari Khan, the chief executive officer of the Indus Health Network (IHN), welcomed the chief minister and appreciated his personal commitment to the hospital and said he took special interest in the cooperation between the government of Sindh and the IHN.

“The Indus Hospital is expanding its services and infrastructure to cater to the ever-increasing number of patients,” Dr Bari said, adding that he was sure that the Sindh government would continue to support the cause and facilitate the network in reaching out to more areas of interior Sindh.

Dr Shamvil Ashraf, the executive director medical services, highlighted the services provided to children at the hospital particularly for childhood cancer.

He said that it was one of the largest paediatric cancer treatment units in Pakistan. “Since Sindh has no childhood care facility other than Indus, therefore, it faces immense pressure in coping with the influx of patients.”

He requested the CM to support the cause of childhood cancer and invest in establishing more cancer treatment units in Sindh.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2019