Murad keen to make JPMC one of the best hospitals in country

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Rs1 billion for the medicines, surgical disposable items and also allowed recruitment of doctors and other necessary staff against the vacant posts and the posts which have been made vacant due to lien of the professors and doctors who have joined somewhere else.

He took this decision today while presiding over a meeting of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre JPMC to review its problems and resolve them here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Sikanadar Mendhro, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM sohail Rajput, Secretary Health Fazal Pechuho, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Executive Director JPMC Seemin Jamali and others.

JPMC Exective Ditector Dr Seemin Jamali giving presentation to the chief minister said that JPMC is a 1650 beded tertiary care center. She added that it provides the highest standard of medical care to all segment of society. The outpatients departments per day cater to 4500 patients and bed occupancy rate is 83.78 percent while the emergency department entertains more than 1000 patients.

Dr Jamali said JPMC alone caters to more than one million patients annually absolutely free of charge, which is perhaps the highest figure in the country. He went on saying that more than 27,000 major and minor surgeries are being performed in a year.

“The center is also involved in postgruaduate as well as nursing and paramedical teaching and training with trainees attendance 1360,” she said and added there attached departments, including Basic Medical Science Institute, College of Physiotherapy, College of Medical Technology, College of Nursing and School of Nursing. She requested the chief minister that the JPMC requires essential equipment, furniture to enhance diagnostic treatment facilities, teaching and training through special grant.

The chief minister directed Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi to sit with Dr Seemin Jamali and give her funds whatever she needs. “I want to provide best health facilities to the people of Sindh and those who come here from Balochistan, Punjab and other provinces here,” he said.

Giving details of the equipments, Dr Jamali presented a list of 132 items worth Rs918,005,600. On this the chief minister said he would provide maximum funds and make JPMC one of the best equipped hospital in the country.

The chief minister was told that the JPMC administration has hired the services of private janitorial services whose annual charges come to Rs9 million. Dr Seemin said that there are 332 sanitary workers posits, of them 103 are lying vacant. “These 332 posts of sanitary workers were sanctioned when the bed strength of the hospital was 1185 and now it has increased to 1650 which additional new units such as medical ICU, Dept of Neurosurgery, Cyber Knife Radiology, ENT Unit-II, Endocrine surgery etc. on this the chief minister approved increase of sanitary budget of the hospital from Rs4.64 million to Rs20 million and urged the executive director to provide health services to the patients in a most cleaned and hygienic atmosphere.

Talking about electricity bills, the executive director of the JPMC said that average monthly bill of the JPMC comes to around Rs37.5 million and the annual sanctioned budget for the purpose is Rs269.5 million. On this the chief minister directed secretary finance and secretary energy to talk to KE authorities and get them JPMC electricity on subsidized rates. However, he directed secretary finance to reconcile the bills of JPMC with KE and pay them.

Another issue taken up in the meeting was of security. The JPMC has 84 posts of chowkidars for its 28 clinical wards and 40 multi story buildings scattered over 75 acres of the land. The chief minister directed Dr Jamali to work out a detailed security plan of the hospital and send to him. “I would either allow you ad hoc appointment or hiring of a private security,” he said and added whatever arrangement may be made but “we would provide you adequate security, he assured.

Dr Jamali proposed a project to construct 72 apartments for staff in the residential area of the JPMC . The chief minister approved the project which would cost around Rs351 million and directed his principal secretary Sohail Rajput to co-ordinate with the JMPC administration and get the project approved by him.

Finally talking about the vacant positions, the Executive Director said that there 2646 posts of different nomenclature, of them 938 are vacant. On this the chief minister directed her to send a summary for recruitment of the necessary staff. “I would approve the recruitment process and then start it purely on merit,” he said and added “we cannot delay recruitment in essential services,” he said.

The JPMC executive director and other administration officers thanked the chief minister for his generosity and lauded is decision power under which he issues directives then and there.