Sindh to give its hospitals in private hands - PPP board approves outsourcing of two Sindh hospitals

Sindh to give its hospitals in private hands - PPP board approves outsourcing of two Sindh hospitals

KARACHI     -   The Public-Private Partnership in its 29th policy board meeting has decided to operate two newly-constructed hospitals, Jacobabad Institute of Medical Science (JIMS) and Matli taluka hospital on private partnership so that they could provide efficient services round the clock.

The meeting was presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday. The other board members who attended the meeting include provincial minister Dr Azar Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, VC NED University Dr Sarosh Lodhi, provincial secretaries, Qazi Shahid Parvez, Najam Shah, Saeed Awan, Ahsan Mangi, Aslam Ansari, MD PPP Unit Khalid Shaikh, MD water Board Asadullah Khan and others.

The meeting was told that JIMS had been established in collaboration with America over an area of five acres with a cost of $14.5 billion.

It is a 133-beded health facility with total staff strength of 141, of them only 14 are government employees. Presently its few departments functional. It OPD cases during 2018 recorded at 492,566. Obstetrics cases were 4130 and family planning cases were 2061. This health facility being located at Jacobabad is being availed by a large number of patients from Balochistan and Sindh.

The chief minister said that it was a state of art health facility and we should operate as a tertiary health facility. The health department through PPP unit submitted that the hospital may be outsourced so that it could operate efficiently and round the clock.

The board approved the proposal of inviting Expression of Interest from private sector, meanwhile health facilities would further be improved.

The meeting also discussed 30-beded taluka hospital Matli established in 1975 and upgraded in 1978. It was providing OPD services to 800 to 100 patients, and has 20 to 25 bed occupancy rate per day. It has a TB and dental Clinics and family planning unit and a well-equipped labour room where on average 100 to 125 deliveries are made every month. The hospital has X-ray department, Ultra-sound machine and also ambulance service.

 

The health department through PPP unit requested the board to outsource the taluka hospital so that its administration and other requirement of staff and residential colony and other requirements could be met. The board approved the request, however the chief minister directed health department to meet the medical and para medical staff requirement of the hospital.

Malir Expressway

The board meeting was told that the project was ready to launch through PPP mode but there was a ban on lifting of sand and gravel from the bed of the Malir River. Therefore, the cost of the project would increase. The chief minister directed the chief secretary to conduct the environmental study of the project in the issue of lifting sand and gravel from its bed. If the study pointed out lifting of sand and gravel to be detrimental for the environment it would be abandoned and sand and gravel would be brought from somewhere else, otherwise Supreme Court may be requested to lift the ban in the larger interest of the project.

TP-III

KWSB is interested in the establishment of a Municipal Wastewater Recycling Project catering to SITE area. This project envisages engaging a private party to take over the responsibility of the water supply to industries, ensuring water supply and carry out the operations and maintenance (O&M) upgradation, replacement and establishment of the requisite municipal wastewater infrastructure. The chief minister said that municipal wastewater recycling for industrial use was proven way to reduce stress on freshwater resources without compromising on industrial growth.

The project has two major components, primary, secondar and tertiary treatment plant and development of pipeline network for distribution of water to industries.

The PPP policy board approved to engage Transaction Advisory to launch the project on PPP mode.

Link Road

The Works & Services Department through PPP unit presented 22km, four lane Link Road construction on PPP mode. Keeping in view the poor condition of the Link Road, the Works & Services Department requested the board to approve initiation the Investors Solicitation process in tandem with the finalisation of the feasibility study. The policy board approved launch of project for solicitation.

Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge

The works & Services dept signed concession agreement with Ghotki-Kandhkot Road & Bridge Company (PVT) Ltd. On the objections of the Irrigation department which wanted a complete Hydraulic study from Nadipur Lab, therefore the chief minister different the item and decided to conduct a separate meeting on the alignment and hydraulic study of the project. The chief minister also decided to invite locals to firm up final recommendations.

Teachers Training Institute

As par management contract, the school education dept would transfer the annual budget for salary and allowances of sanctioned vacant position of GECE Hussainabad to private part (Durbeen). The policy board approved allocation of annual budget for sanctioned vacant posts from the Viability Gap Fund to ensure smooth functioning of the GECE Hussainabad, Karachi.

PPP in Non-formal Education: The provincial government has approved the non-formal education (NFE) policy 2017as an alternative path to educate out-of-school children, adolescents and adults.

The School education dept aims to outsource NFE service delivery to community-based organisations, non-profit organization, private partners through PPP mechanism. The department is of the view said that PPP in NFE would improve quality and access of education of out-of-school children and improve literacy rate in the province.

The PPP policy board approved conducting of feasibility study to explore possible PPP arrangements for NFE sub-sector.

Sindh Leasing Company Ltd

The PPP policy board has already approved the capital injections and overhead expenses for formation of companies such as Mudarba, General Insurance and Sindh Leasing Compnay Ltd and approved the formation cost through Viability Gap Fund (VGF) Accordingly, the payment of Rs3,308,000 and Rs1,000,000 were made from VGF on account of stamp duty and CDC charges. The department also requested for provision of post-facto approval for additional payment of Rs4,962,500 on account of fresh Issue Fee and Stamp Duty which board approved.

Marble City Project

Sindh govt has allocated 300 acres for the development of Marble City Project in Deh Mithaghar, about two km from Northern Bypass. The Sindh Investment dept requested the policy board to approve hiring of Transaction Advisory Services for the project from Project Development Fund (PDF) which the board approved.

Technology Park at NED

The NED University and Investment dept are interested in establishing the NED Technology Park (NTP) project under PPP mode to further regional and national economic development by creating conditions for the development of technologies and transfer of knowledge from university to business and by building the competitive edge for the industry.

The PPP policy board approved conducting Comprehensive Feasibility study for establishment of NTP.

Mega Intervention in  Sukkur: The Sindh government is undertaking a feasibility for Sukkur specific mega interventions such as Sukkur Dr Port and an International Cargo Terminal in the first phase. The PPP policy board approved hiring of consultants for the project and funding from Project Development Fund for transaction advisory services.

Foot & Mouth Disease

Pakistan has a population of livestock of 195.9 million. The prevalence of FMD in Sindh is 12.1 percent to 33.8 percent. Punjab has 10 to 54 percent. Currently, there is no public private sector is producing FMD vaccine in Pakistan. FMD vaccine is unaffordable for subsistence farmers due to high import cost of the vaccine. Therefore, the framers were facing huge economic losses. The PPP policy board approved conducting feasibility and transitionary advisory services for the project from Project Development Fund.

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