KARACHI:,,, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (R ) Maqbool Baqar and Care Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi visited the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) to witness its patient service, structure and performance so that a similar institute could be established in Punjab.
During their visit both the chief ministers interacted with the patients in the Emergency and in the CCU and asked about the services and the care being provided to them. The patients and their attendants expressed their satisfaction and told the chief minister that they were being provided with free-of-cost treatment for the medicines.
The Punjab chief minister was told that the NICVD has 10 Satellite centres in. different districts of the province and 17 chest pain clinics established in the containers and have been parked at different areas of the city where the patients could reach easily. The Punjab chief minister expressed his satisfaction in developing chest pain clinics along the main roads. “This is an innovative way of providing healthcare to the patients free of cost,” he commented.
To a question, the new Executive Director of NICVD Dr Tahir Saghir told the CM that all the treatments from emergency to open heart surgery, angioplasty and angiography were all being carried out free of cost. To a question, he told the Punjab chief minister that the change of a heart valve cost around Rs250,000 but it was carried out at NICVD free of cost.
The NICVD chief told the CM Punjab that people from other provinces and even from neighbouring countries avail of the health facilities at NICVD free of cost. This year the government has allocated Rs15 billion for NICVD/SIVD so that free of cost treatment could be provided to the people without any discrimination.
To a question, the Punjab chief minister was told that 16 open heart surgeries could be carried out in NICVD in a day.
Media talk: Talking to the media at NICVD the Punjab chief minister said that the purpose of his visit to NICVD was to get first-hand information and witness the quality of treatment and care so that a similar institution could be. Established in Punjab.
Mr Mohsin Naqvi expressed his satisfaction and appreciated the provincial government for establishing such an institution in the public sector.
Caretaker govt not authorized to reappropriate funds:
Replying to a question, the Sindh Chief Minister Justice (R ) Maqbool Baqar said that he has no dispute with his caretaker health minister. “This is a simple issue of the mandate which is being misinterpreted,” he said and added that the budget for the purchase of Robots for surgery was passed by the provincial assembly, and the tender for the procurement of the Robots was floated by the previous government which the caretaker chief minister cancelled without any lawful authority.
Another issue which has also remained misunderstood is the reappropriation of funds meant for purchasing the Robots, the CM said and added the caretaker health minister wanted to reappropriate the funds [allocated for robots] so that they [funds] could be utilized for the improvement of the hospital.
Justice Baqar said that being a caretaker government he was not authorized to reappropriate the approved/allocated funds [for robots]. He added that his refusal to reappropriate funds has created a hue and cry in the media.
The CM said that the experts have told him that the Chinese Robots were lower in price, therefore this option could be evaluated.
Sugarcane price: Earlier the two caretaker chief ministers, Sindh and Punjab discussed the sugarcane price fixed by the Sindh government at Rs425 per 40 kg. The Punjab chief minister said that they have fixed it at Rs400 per 40 kg.
Sindh CM Justice Maqbool Baqar said that the price was fixed after carrying out an extensive exercise of the total cost incurred by the grower at 40 kg and he was given 12.5 per cent profit. On top of it, Sindh CM said that the sucrose content in the sugarcane grown in Sindh was higher than the cane of Punjab, therefore, the price of sugarcane in Sindh is always fixed slightly higher than the price of Punjab.
The two chief ministers also discussed the joint clean-up operation against the dacoits in the Riverine areas of Sindh and Punjab. Justice Baqar and Mr Naqvi agreed that the weapons and gadgets being procured would be obtained shortly and by the time the water level in the Indus River would considerably come down to start the operation.
The Punjab chief minister told the Sindh chief minister that he would send his Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Team to Karachi to meet with the engineers and experts of the KDA, KMC and MDA so that the Lahore development model could be adopted here in Karachi.
