Federal govt notifies takeover of JPMC Karachi.

KARACHI: The federal government on Friday issued a notification regarding the takeover of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi.

"The federal government has been pleased to constitute a board of governors, in respect of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, under section 4 of the Federal Medical Teaching Institute Ordinance 2020," the notification read.

The board of members includes Mushtaq Kassim Chhapra, a philanthropist and industrialist, Ronaq Lakhani, a philanthropist, Dr Muhammad Irfan Daudi, associate professor surgery/ consultant surgeon, and Rashid A Khan, a businessman.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgement had given the control of the three major public-sector hospitals - NICVD, JPMC and NICH - to the federal government and directed the provincial and federal governments to complete a smooth transition of the hospitals' control.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Health Department has opposed the formation of the BoG and has announced not to be a part of it.

Commenting on the development, a spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department said that the transfer of hospitals is a complex and sub judice matter.

"The federal government had sought names for the Board of Governors but the Sindh health minister has refused to recommend any names," he said.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho strongly opposed the new mode of management, saying it will affect the "service delivery" of the institutions.

She said that the federal government will send new management to run these institutions after completing their exercise, but it would badly affect the service delivery of these institutions. She said the federal health authorities did not approach the provincial health department to formally take over the hospitals...