KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday asked the administration of Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences (SASIMS) in Sehwan to begin a satellite angioplasty centre for which he had already consulted with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

“I want to see the facility operational at the institute by the end of this month,” said Mr Shah while presiding over a meeting of the institute’s board of governors at the CM House.

The chief minister said that he had issued directives to the NICVD to establish its satellite centre at the SASIMS, but still no move had been made in that direction.

He was told all the arrangements had been made in this connection and the institute was just waiting for the NICVD to launch the scheme. The chief minister asked his principal secretary to coordinate the matter and stressed “I want to start angioplasty by end-July”.

The board of governors approved Rs862.964 million annual budget for the institute for 2017-18 and also endorsed the purchase of new equipment, including 12 baby incubators, oxygen gas generation plant, central oxygen gas supply system, PRC machine, microbiological equipment, digital X-ray plant, binocular ophthalmic operating microscope; auto refractometer, cataract surgery set; tonometer; retino scope, incinerator, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, OT table and ABG machine.

The meeting was told the government had released Rs100m to the institute for the payment of salary, purchase of certain approved equipment and hiring of more doctors.

The chief minister directed his principal secretary to hire a State Bank auditor to audit the expenditures made so far. “I am sure each penny must have been spent judiciously,” he said, urging the board to support him in making the institute a model in terms of honesty, efficiency and facilities.

The meeting was informed that with the approval of the board, 46 male and female doctors had been hired for a period of three months.

The fresh hiring had improved service delivery in OPD and indoor departments.

The meeting was told that with the approval of last board meeting equipment and machinery were ordered and some of those items had been received.

Mr Shah said that CT-scan machine was highly important keeping in view the fact the institute was located near highway and those who got wounded in road accidents were brought there for treatment.

The meeting was told that the purchase of equipment such as HbA1, CT machine, CTG machine, ventilators, defibrillators, generators and computers had been ordered. Some lab equipment had been received to get the lab going.

The CM asked the director of the institute to start a training centre for paramedics at the institute by affiliating it with Sindh Medical Faculty. The new academic year would start in October, and he wanted to see the first batch of 90 students then, he said.

The chief minister issued directives to the district administration to remove encroachments from the government land around the institute and work on expansion of the facility.

The board said that one-line grant of Rs5.1m allocated for hiring staff during 2016-17 could not be utilised and approved it to use the same during the current fiscal year.

The meeting was attended by all board members, including Health Minister Sikandar Mandhro, secretary of health, and other senior officials concerned.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2017