BADIN               -            Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah said here on Monday that as per the vision of Benazir Bhutto (BB), best health services were being provided at the model hospital built under the public-private partnership (PPP).

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the newly-established Physical Rehabilitation Center (PRC), Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the objective was to involve private sector with the government for service delivery in different sectors, particularly in health and education.

He added that he was proud to say that the PPP government had delivered best services to the people of Sindh in the health sector.

Talking about Physical Rehabilitation Center, the chief minister said that it was the fourth of its kind in Pakistan where artificial limbs were made and fixed to the patients to rehabilitate them. “This Center provides services to the poor people of entire Laar area of the province,” the CM said, and added that he had visited Physical Rehabilitation Centre and seen children were being treated and trained after artificial limbs were fixed to their bodies.

He deplored that fresh medical graduates lacked dedication in their work. “This is quite deplorable and needed to be addressed,” he stressed.

He added that there was shortage of doctors, nurses and technicians at hospitals all over Sindh. “We had appointed 6,000 doctors to different hospitals, but even then the shortage persists,” Murad said.

The chief minister said that he never lost his temper in meetings, except in meetings with the health department officials.

He said that in order to overcome the shortage of doctors, he had offered incentives to the medical professionals working abroad, but only a few of them came back.

Murad said that most of the doctors had joined politics and civil service, but they always wrote doctor with their names.

The Sindh CM said that DHQ Hospital Badin was one of the best hospitals in the country. “It was at the cost of around Rs1 billion and it had almost all the departments, except Brain Surgery and Psychology,” he said, and added the Physical Rehabilitation Center had been built for Rs 50 million, of them 50 percent had been provided by the donors.

The chief minister said that some detractors were making hue and cry that nothing had been given to Badin. “I am surprised that they can’t see this beautiful road network and state-of-the-art hospital,” he said, and added that people of the city had returned PPP to power time and again, and the party had the resolve to serve the people with their best of abilities.

Earlier, the chief minister unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Physical Rehabilitation Center. He visited different wards, witnessed formation of artificial limbs and physiotherapy of the patients.

CEO of Indus Network Dr Abdul Bari briefed the CM about different departments of the hospital and thanked him for his support.

Those who spoke on the occasion were Senator Dr Sikander Mandhro, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, Indus Health Network (IHN) CEO, Professor Mohammad Chinoy, Executive Director, Physical Rehabilitation Directorate, Dr Abbas Shah and others while Mohammad Ismail Rahu, Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, MNA, Senator Dr Sikander Mandhro, MPA Taj Mohammad Mallah and others also accompanied by him.

While talking to media Chief Minister Sindh just after performing inauguration of newly-established Physical Rehabilitation Center (PRC) of District headquarters’ Hospital Badin managed by Indus Network said that MQM-Pakistan did not talk about division of Sindh whenever it joined coalition with PPP.  “This is why we have invited them to quit PTI government in the center and join Sindh government as a coalition partner.”

To a question, the Chief Minister Sindh, Sayed Murad Ali Shah said that MQM stopped talking about division of Sindh whenever it entered into coalition with PPP government in Sindh.

“This is why we have offered them to join us in Sindh and quit PTI government in the center,” he said and added PPP wanted them to be partner with provincial Govt to serve poor people of the province. Mr. Shah said that there was a mafia in educational boards. “We created a separate department of universities & Boards which have controlled tempering with answer copies to some extent,” he said and added still the departments (U&B) has to work hard against examination mafias.

Replying to a question, he said that his government has allocated Rs 20 billion for provision of safe and clean drinking water schemes all over Sindh. “We have given you good road network in Badin district, gave you a best hospital under the Public-Private Partnership program, Government of Sindh and Inshallah will give a water supply scheme very soon,” he told people of Badin and added “you had shown your confidence in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in last general elections and we would be serving you to the best of our abilities.”

He said that he has directed Indus Hospital network CEO Dr. Abdul Bari to prepare a 10-year plan that what was needed in District Badin. “We will establish a university or medical college or nursing Institute-whatever is needed we will establish here in Badin,” he vowed.

Talking about bulldozing of katcha houses constructed on encroached land, the chief minister said that the cabinet has already taken its decision that houses would not be removed until and unless alternative arrangements were made. However, he said that no new encroachment would be allowed at any cost.

To a question, Murad Ali Shah said that he was working hard to establish right of people of Sindh on the natural gas being produced from Sindh “Out of eight members of CCI five supported him in implementation of Article 158 of the constitution,” he said and thanked the CCI for supporting him.  To a question about locust swarm, the chief minister Sindh said that the Plant Protection Department of federal government was responsible for spray but their aircrafts were out of order and had no funds for the purpose. “I gave them Rs10 million grant to start their work but that also couldn’t happen accordingly,” he said and added he has given directives to his Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu to hire aircrafts from UAE and China to spray the deserts where they have settled for breeding.

Earlier when the Chief Minister Sindh, Sayed Murad Ali Shah landed in Badin, he was warmly welcomed by the PPP senior leaders and party MPAs and MNAs and he was showered with rose petals and was worn turban and Sindhi Ajraks were presented to him.

Later on, he also addressed the workers gathering at Mandhra house Badin and addressed their grievances and assured them to resolve their faced issues on priority basis.