The federal health ministry plans to transfer ownership of three tertiary-care hospitals in Karachi to the Sindh government for 25 years. The agreement will be signed in Sukkur between federal and provincial authorities.

The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) will officially become part of the Sindh Health Department.

While these hospitals are federally owned according to a Supreme Court (SC) ruling, they have been managed by the provincial health department. The past and current governments preferred local administration over federal control of these hospitals.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will inaugurate the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Medical Complex in Sukkur. This complex is equipped with 70 dialysis machines and accommodates 170 beds. He will also oversee the formal agreement signing.

While concerns about expenses in operating JPMC, NICVD, and NICH post-devolution under the 18th amendment exist, discussions about funds spent by the provincial government are not currently a focus. SC had previously directed the federal government to reimburse the provincial government for the hospital expenses.

Minister Bhutto-Zardari will also inaugurate a satellite center of SICHN in Sukkur, catering to medical needs in upper Sindh, South Punjab, and Balochistan. SICHN, headquartered in Karachi, has served the Korangi district with top-notch medical facilities. Establishing its first satellite center outside Karachi marks a significant milestone.

Source: ProPakistani