KARACHI: Claims by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of revolutionising Sindh’s healthcare sector via heavy investments and public-private partnership programmes are far removed from ground realities, a local media outlet reported on Thursday.
The transfer of public hospitals to private ownership created problems and cloaked the government’s own incompetence, say experts.
In addition to transfer of public hospitals to various NGO’s, 1,138 out of 1,700 primary healthcare centres and other facilities in 21 districts of the province have been handed over to the Peoples Primary Health Initiative (PPHI). Ambulances were also handed over to PPHI but locals still complain of non-availability of ambulances.
Approximately 70 per cent of Sindh’s total health budget (2017-18) was also given to PPHI, according to reports.
An official at the health department complained that the performance of hospitals under NGO’s or PPHI was unsatisfactory with provision of poor quality medications and serious administrative problems.
