Death of children in Mithi: SC orders completion of investigations in two weeks

Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday constituted a commission to probe the actions taken by Sindh Health Department to prevent the death of children in Mithi District of the province and ordered it to complete the investigations in two weeks time.
SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar appointed Additional IG CTD Sindh Sanaullah Abbasi head of the commission to fix the responsibility for death of children in Tharparkar region of the province when it took up the case of deaths of children in Tharparkar at Karachi Registry. Apex court also ordered Sindh Public Service Commission to appoint doctors and paramedical staff on the vacant posts in government hospitals in Tharparkar and directed that task should be completed in two months. The bench also directed to make Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory functional in two months time.
Amicus curiae of the court Faisal Siddiqui Advocate informed the bench that Sindh faces 70 percent shortage of doctors and paramedical staff and submitted that deteriorating health conditions in the province can't be reverse without resolving this problem. We have recommended for appointment of six thousands doctors and paramedical staff in the government hospitals, Secretary Health Sindh Fazalullah Pechu informed the court when CJP inquired about the shortage of medical staff in Sindh. "No one from Karachi is willing to serve in Tharparkar, Pechu said.
CJP said that who is responsible for shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in the government hospitals of Sindh and who would compensate those, who's nearer and dearer ones died due to shortage of medical staff. CJP came hard on Secretary Sindh Health and said that court has been asking for overcoming the shortage of medical staff for the last five months, but to no avail.
Mian Saqib Nisar also took exception to the performance of former Sindh government led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and observed that there is no governance in the province. He stated that provincial government is responsible for the death of children in Tharparkar in the light of findings of Agha Khan Hospital.
CJP also inquired about former Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and remarked that if he is going to contest the next on the basis of this dismal performance. He observed that there is a visible difference in the performance of Sindh and others provinces.
Secretary Sindh Health expressed his helplessness when he told the court that Sindh Chief Secretary didn't listen to him whenever he approached him to improve the situation of health in Sindh.
Tariq Mansoor Advocate told the court that only Drug Testing Laboratory in the province is dysfunctional since October 2017. CJP showed displeasure over the state of testing laboratory and asked Sindh Health Secretary why it is dysfunctional for the last several months.
Secretary Health informed the court that it is being shifted from one building to other, which received sharp criticism from CJP who observed that time is being wasted rather than making the arrangement to make the laboratory functional. Court ordered to make laboratory functional in two months time.