All government hospitals to have MCs/Boards soon: minister tells Sindh Assembly

All the government hospitals in districts and talukas will have Managing Committees/Boards within 10-15 days. This was stated by Senior Minister for Health, Syed Sardar Ahmed during question hour in Sindh Assembly on Wednesday.
He told that proposed managing committees would be formed through the Ordinance with local people to be nominated as their members to monitor the working of respective hospitals.
He, however, made it clear that the nominees would be non-political but noble and educated people. Replying a question of Hameedullah Khan Advocate, Sardar Ahmed, on behalf of Labour and Industries Minister Adil Siddiqi, explained in detail the procedure for purchase of medicines for Sessi hospitals. He said the procedure is strictly followed in accordance with the Provincial Employees Social Security (Procurement of supplies and property) Regulations 1967.
He told that a total expenditure of Rs 72,908,402 was incurred on the purchase of medicines during the period from 1-7-2004 to 30-6-2005. Sardar Ahmed said all purchases are made through tenders but a procedure is also followed in respect of direct purchases.
He said life saving drugs are procured first through bulk purchases. Replying a supplementary question, the Health Minister said that Sessi hospitals do have anti-venom and rabies vaccines and whenever needed provided to secured workers.
However he admitted that government hospitals do face shortage of these vaccines, which are procured from Islamabad. He said the government is considering to set up a laboratory for their production here.
To another supplementary question, Sardar Ahmed said that there is only one burns Hospital in the Province situated in Karachi where patients from all over Sindh are brought for treatment of burn injuries. He said it is a specialised unit.
Answering various supplementaries, the minister informed the House that health department is carrying out an inquiry into supply of spurious and expired drugs.
Recently, he said, such medicines worth Rs 15 million were seized from one place along with totally fresh printed labels, which went to be pasted on bottles of spurious and expired drugs to sell them as fresh medicines.
He appealed to the people that while purchasing medicines make it a point to see that these are not expired and also get receipt for the medicine purchased because receipts for spurious drugs are not issued. Replying to a question of the same member, Sardar Ahmed informed that there are a total of 20 Technical Training Centres functioning in the province.
He said during the period from 1-7-2004 to 30-06-2005, equipments were purchased only for Technical Training Center (Male) Landhi, Karachi to the tune of Rs 9,799,981. He gave item-wise details of expenditure. He said for other technical training centres, the requisite equipments were purchased in earlier year.
To a supplementary question, he said that some 6000 trainees are undergoing various courses of two months to one-year duration at the technical training centres. He said they are being imparted training in 25-30 different trades.