KARACHI, March 20: The privatisation of the 300-bed trauma centre, developed at a cost of Rs700 million in 1997 on University Road is likely to have a negative impact on the already deteriorating health situation in the city.

The trauma centre, which was built during second term of Pakistan Peoples Party government with a plan to minimise human sufferings in case of serious accidents, emergency situations, mass casualties and natural calamities besides provision of facilities to patients of cardiac problems, was lying inoperational owing to wranglings between different governments.

Following the exit of Pakistan Peoples Party government, the next one was reluctant to inaugurate it for fear that the credit of its completion would go the PPP and due to this reason, a population of more than two million living in its surrounding areas continued to face medical facilities and in case of emergencies, the patients are rushed to the three public sector hospitals, Civil, Jinnah and Abbasi.

The decision of the privatisation commission is likely to cause a considerable loss to the national exchequer.

Moreover the high cost of treatment following its privatisation may go beyond the reach of a common people.

The area Nazim has however, opposed the privatisation of the facility and said it should either be run by the Sindh government or handed to the city government.

Habib ud Din Junedi, Senior Vice President of the All-Pakistan Trade Union Organisation, has slammed the reported move of the government to privatize Trauma Centre.—PPI