KARACHI, Jan 2: The Sindh government has decided to reduce its control over health institutions in the public sector and offered them autonomy to operate under a board of governors so that they can provide quality and affordable health care to all sections of society, officials said on Wednesday.

The BOG, whose establishment is stipulated in an ordinance promulgated recently, may be formed separately in the case of hospitals with or without training centres or teaching hospitals across the province and will act as the principal governing body.

It will also be responsible for the administration and management of the health facility being run by it.

The ordinance titled “The Sindh Health Institutions (Establishment and Management) Ordinance, 2007” was given approval by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Dec 27 with effect from Oct 24, 2007.

The ordinance says that government may, by notification in the official gazette, apply this ordinance to any health institution or teaching hospital functioning immediately before the commencement of this ordinance.

Also, the government may, by notification in the official gazette, establish such numbers of health institutions as it may deem fit, while the health institution shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire and hold property as prescribed and may, by its name, sue or be sued.

The chairman of the BOG will be appointed by the Chief Minister. The provincial health secretary, medical superintendent of teaching hospital, vice-chancellor nominated by the government, principal of a medical college nominated by the government, shall be official members and four non-official members nominated by the government from among the philanthropists, distinguished businessmen and NGOs would be in the board.

The health institutions shall be responsible for providing training, health care facilities to people and perform such other functions as may, from time to time, be assigned to it by the government.

The Board shall appoint persons possessing qualifications on terms and conditions as may be prescribed by rules to be made to carry out the purpose of the ordinance.

The persons serving in a health institution in any capacity immediately before the commencement of the act in question, notwithstanding any law or terms and conditions of their service, stand transferred for service to the BOG on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by rules, said section 6(1) of the ordinance.

However, the terms and condition should not be less favourable than the terms and conditions admissible to them immediately before their transfer. The employees transferred to BOG will continue to be the employees of the government and may be transferred to government by the Board unless observed in the service of the Board.

There shall be a fund, to be known by the name of the Board, which shall vest in the Board and to which shall be credited all sums received by the institution.

The government may order financial, medical and managerial monitoring through a third party nominated by the government and paid for by the BOG and the Board shall comply with the directions which may be issued by government on the report of the third party.

All persons acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any provision of this ordinance shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the PPC, 1860, the new ordinance emphasised.