KARACHI, Jan 24: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Friday announced the setting up of a three-member committee to frame recommendations for grant of more administrative and financial powers to the medical superintendents of hospitals under the city government.

He was speaking at the annual certificate-distribution ceremony of the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital.

Earlier, MS of the hospital said that performance of the city government hospitals suffered from lack of financial and administrative powers.

The Nazim said that health and education sectors were on top of the priorities of the city government and, as such, the problems of these hospitals would be resolved within the available resources and due powers would be given to medical superintendents.

The committee, comprising EDO (finance) Shoaib Siddiqi, EDO (health) Dr Ali Nawaz Shaikh and MS of the hospital Dr Shabeen Naz Masood, would submit its report within a week, on the basis of which the Nazim would issue orders.

Naimatullah Khan said that the city government was keen to provide modern facilities to the city government hospitals. He sought the cooperation of philanthropists and urged them to set up institutions for the needy.

He praised the services rendered by the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, which was originally a mother-and-child care unit, and paid tribute to Chetumal Sobhraj who established the facility in 1928.

Referring to the lengthy procedures for financial approvals, which lead to delays in repair and purchase of essential items and machinery, he directed the EDO (health) to coordinate with all concerned officials and bring all emergency cases to him directly.

In a presentation, Dr Shabeen Naz said that the SMH was one of the major hospitals of the city government, besides being the only institution where all resident doctors are postgraduates — either MCPS or FCPS.

She highlighted the academic activities of the hospital which include teaching and training facilities, the school of nursing, under-graduate and post-graduate training programmes, etc.

Dr Shabeen said that while the national mortality ratio was about 95 deaths per 1,000 births, it was low - 58.4 per 1,000 births - at the hospital.

EDO (health) Dr Ali Nawaz Shaikh said that Rs50 million had been allocated for the city government hospitals under the annual development programme. He said 15 uplift schemes had been approved for health-care institutions.

He said that Karachi had been made a polio-free zone and no case of the crippling disease was reported since June 15 and that efforts would be made so that the city remained polio-free next year too.

Dr Arifa Kausar Bhutto, who was born at the Sobhraj Hospital, told the gathering that she had a sentimental and deep association with the institution and has completed 18 years of service at the hospital.

She said that one of her sisters was also born at the hospital and, as such, her entire family had great attachment with the institution.—APP/PPI