KARACHI: The Sindh government will run healthcare facilities of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation through public-private partnerships to ensure their effective operation, said Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Monday.

She was speaking at a press conference held to highlight the steps being taken by the provincial government to strengthen the healthcare system.

“The government will only monitor the operation of the KMC healthcare facilities and plan to run them through institutions that have set an excellence in their operation. For instance, we plan to handover the operation of the KMC cardiac unit to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) whereas the Dow University Hospital might be asked to run another KMC health facility,” she explained.

The minister’s statement about the KMC-run facilities came against the backdrop of the recently passed Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which gives total control to the provincial government over municipal organisations.

Pechuho says future govt may abolish Pakistan Medical Commission

Among other things, the new bill also takes back health-related functions as well as operations of several healthcare facilities including Karachi Medical and Dental College and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Plan to set up Sindh Medical, Dental Council

Asked about the medical and dental college admission test, the minister firmly said the government would follow the cabinet’s decision of setting 50 per cent as the required passing percentage for the MDCAT-2021 exams.

“The Pakistan Medical Commission’s threats that our students would not be registered hold no ground as it’s very likely that the future government abolishes this controversial body,” she said.

The minister announced that the provincial government was ready to legislate on the Sindh Medical and Dental Council that would make a policy on medical and dental college admissions. The provincial governments had the right to legislate on health matters after the enactment of 18th Amendment, she said.

Earlier, the minister briefed about the government’s health initiatives and said the Sindh government aimed at strengthening the public sector system by partnering with private institutions unlike the federal government which focused on the private sector.

Currently, she pointed out, the government was giving a total of Rs57.48 billion grant to numerous hospitals including the NICVD, Infectious Disease Hospital at Nipa, Dow University Hospital, Gambat institute and Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative, to provide free-of-cost treatment.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021