By Dr. Abdul Razzak Shaikh,
The federal government has notified administrative control of three major healthcare facilities in Sindh. The order has been issued by Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Co-ordination Islamabad on 22nd May 2019.
On another way, Sindh Chief Minister presided high level meeting on Friday has refused to hand over these health institutes till the decision of review petition submitted by Sindh Government in the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The Ministry of National Health has issued a notification to take administrative control of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi.
All administrative matters of these hospitals including services of employees and assets have been transferred to the central government.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment had handed over the control of the three major public sector hospitals – NICVD, JPMC and NICH – back to the federal government.
The court had given 90 days to provincial and federal governments for a smooth transition of the hospital’s control. The deadline given by the court was ended by the mid of April.
The federal cabinet in a session had approved the transfer of the administrative control of these hospitals to the center.
Whereas the Sindh government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, seeking the reversal of the court’s verdict and permission for it to run the hospitals.
The provincial government had approached the court with a claim that since the subject of health had been devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment, the management of the JPMC, NICVD, and NICH also vested with the Sindh government.
The apex court had rejected the Sindh government’s plea in January this year.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto expressed strong reservations against the federal government terming federal a takeover of 3 major hospitals of Sindh as a blatant ‘attack’ on provincial autonomy.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party said that they would protests against this act on every available forum. He urges the government to roll back their decision.