Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Monday that the Sindh government had revolutionized the healthcare system in the province.
Addressing a ceremony to inaugurate a 500-bed surgical complex at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, he said that the PPP was trying to provide free of cost healthcare facilities to the people.
“As per its commitment, the PPP has upgraded the JPMC – the largest tertiary care and postgraduate health facility in the city – by setting up a 500-bed surgical complex with 18 state-of-the-art operation theaters,” he maintained.
He added, “The JPMC Surgical Complex is another example of the success of the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, which reminds us of the great initiative conceived by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. She had envisioned this while keeping the welfare of the masses in the manifesto of 1993 general elections.”
The PPP chairman said that Economist magazine in its analysis on the public-private partnership model in the region cited Sindh province as one of the best among six provinces [sic] where tangible progress was ensured.
He said the reason for this achievement was due to political ownership. “Despite retrenched resources, the Sindh government has performed diligently,” he stated.
“Every Pakistani, who comes here (JPMC), is being treated with dignity and they are not asked how much money they have. Nor are they asked about where they come from and what language they speak. The doors of the JPMC are open to every Pakistani,” Bilawal said.
Bilawal pointed out that when he last visited this health facility, there was one ‘cyberknife’ machine at that time, but now there were two machines through which cancer patients were being treated absolutely free of cost.
“Apparently, there is an urgent need for the government to invest in the public healthcare sector. The government can’t do it on its own,” he said while stressing the need to launch more projects under the public-private partnership.
He also lauded Dr. Adeeb Rizvi for his contribution to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, the largest kidney transplant centre in Pakistan.
He said that the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) is a world class hospital where every Pakistani is receiving medical facilities free of cost. “This is why it has become a hallmark of Sindh. Today, almost all districts of Sindh have free cardiology treatment centers run by the Sindh government,” the PPP chairman added.
He said that the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) was also an excellent example of a public-private partnership.
He said that the PPP faced criticism over the 18th amendment and the devolution of powers to the provinces. He added that the upgradation of the JPMC was the best reply to PPP’s critics.
He appealed to the people of Karachi to support the PPP. “We want to put every institution on a par with the JPMC. We want our citizens to have access to medical care at their doorsteps,” he added.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab, PPP Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi and Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Human Rights Surendar Valasai were also present.
