HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit has ordered and spelt out reforms in the public sector hospitals across Sindh to be implemented within four months and closure of private medical stores at all government hospitals, asking the authorities concerned to ensure that the eviction process is completed within a week if there was no interim order in field.

The bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Mohammad Iqbal Maher heard health secretary Usman Chachar, Sindh health services director general Dr Hassan Murad Shah and Liaquat University Hospital medical superintendent Dr Wajid Ali Memon.

The bench passed the order while disposing of a petition, filed by Amir Lutuf Zardari, a philanthropist who had been running a private blood bank without obtaining the mandatory licence at the LUH city branch. The court observed that he could do this philanthropic work from outside hospital.

The order issued on Thursday spelt out reforms ranging from the launch of government-run ambulance services across the province (initially starting from Hyderabad) to the formation of committees, with representation from civil society, for each taluka and district hospitals to recommend measures to the health secretary directly for any requirement.

The bench ordered launching of the Sindh-wide ambulance services with rescue centres to be set up and toll-free numbers allocated to them. Two experts including one qualified person should be available within each ambulance and centres should work round the clock. In the first phase, it should be launched in Hyderabad within three months. The city and Jamshoro branches of the LUH should be upgraded to have a capacity of 2,000 beds each within a year for which special measures be taken and approval sought from the competent authority. Such a scheme should not be delayed in any manner on the pretext of the annual development programme (ADP).

The bench asked commissioners to form committees with representation from civil society for each taluka and district hospitals. They would submit recommendations to the health secretary directly with a copy to [be provided to] this court, it said.

The health secretary gave an undertaking to court that the regional blood centres would be established within two months.

He informed the bench that regional blood centres were being established in Karachi, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sukkur to provide blood to government hospitals.

The bench asked the secretary to ensure that all blood laboratories were registered and run by qualified persons while the health services director general should ensure visits to labs to check violation of the relevant law. Those labs found run by unqualified persons should be sealed without any delay, it said.

The order said that the director general should ensure that medicines were provided to hospitals as per the demand and within 15 days after the procurement committee concerned completed the legal formalities.

The bench ordered the additional chief secretary to approve the SNEs, as mentioned by the secretary, within four months. It said that medicines should be made available at every ward of all public sector hospitals

The chief secretary was asked to ensure that the posts of additional secretary/special secretaries are filled within 15 days and two posts of special secretaries for vertical programme should be created to improve working.

The bench also directed the secretary to ensure that no private medical store was permitted [to function] at public sector hospitals in Sindh. In case there is such a permission, it shall be cancelled in 15 days and eviction process shall be completed within a month, according to the bench, which asked the inspector-general of police and DIGs of all regions in Sindh to provide assistance and force to the officers concerned for the accomplishment of this task.

“Since medical stores could not be permitted in hospitals thus any agreement or lease, if any, is void and DG health shall ensure that all private medical stores are closed in hospitals including civil hospitals. In cases where interim order is not in field, DG shall ensure eviction process be completed in a week’s time with compliance to court,” the order said.

The health services DG was also told to ensure that the LUH musafirkhana [inn] was got vacated, from those occupying it illegally, without delay on a seven-day notice. The Hyderabad commissioner and his deputies were asked to cooperate with the health department and provide it with assistance.

Justice Panhwar expressed concern over non-formation of the ‘healthcare commission’ after the 2013 legislation for the purpose.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2016