The Sindh government has signed an agreement with five private health organisations to run selected public health services under a public-private partnership. This is to ensure the provision of standard health facilities. The agreement was signed here on Thursday in a ceremony held at Chief Minister House.
Chief executive officer of the Indus Hospital, Dr Abdul Bari Khan signed the agreement to run the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Badin, whereas Prof Dr Ghaffar Billoo from HANDS signed on to run DHQ hospitals in Bin Qasim, Gadap Town and Khairpur.
Dr Sadia Qureshi of the Aman Foundation will be in charge of operating ambulance services in all districts and Dr Asim Mahmood of Integrated Health Services will be running all rural health centres (RHC), with the exception of RHCs in Thatta and Sujawal and tehsil headquarters (THQ) of Nawabshah, Larkana and Shahdadkot. Mr Mansoor Baloch on behalf of Merlin, an international health charity, signed on to run RHCs, THQs and DHQs at Thatta, Sujawal, Mirpurkhas and THQ Ghulam Shah Lakhi. The special secretary for health Dr Khalid Shaikh was present to sign the agreement on behalf of the Sindh government.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, health minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, finance minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro and Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon, various senior officers along with eminent personalities from the medical fraternity attended the ceremony.
He pointed out that the PPP government has practically implemented this idea and innovative strategy not only to provide standard health facilities to the poor at their doorstep, but also to enhance the capacity building of public health facilities.
“Let us succeed in this new innovative concept in the interest of the common man,” he added and said that the purpose of health organisations, in private and public sectors, was to provide better health facilities; this agreement now provides a joint platform to both.
He added that the PPP government was giving top priority to health and education and has so far invested billions of rupees to promote these sectors. He shared his optimism, believing that the people of Sindh would greatly benefit from this new venture.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/news/1170669/govt-signs-agreement-with-five-institutions-for-better-health-services