Daily Times

KARACHI: Public Health Engineering Secretary Dr Riaz Memon, apart from his official obligation, is also serving Peoples Primary Healthcare Institute (PPHI), revealed officials of PPHI.

PPHI Sindh is a privately registered company which manages 1,140 healthcare facilities with a special focus on maternal, newborn and child health. The PPHI is being funded by Sindh government with Rs 5 billion (bn) per annum. It is also funded by World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international donors.

Officials of PPHI said that it was a direct violation of public service rules for a government official to serve in a private company. They further alleged that the interview tests of 200 candidates applying for the post of sub-engineer were conducted at PPHI office in Zubaida Hospital, Hyderabad and PPHI head office in Clifton by Dr Riaz.

“Governmental affairs and business cannot be held at private institutions,” PPHI officials maintained. The PPHI members also alleged that Dr Riaz had appointed 26 officials in management and support of PPHI. They claimed that these officials included consultants stationed at Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shikarpur, Khairpur and Naushehro Feroz PPHI offices.

A public sector doctor and three in-service secretaries from planning, finance and health departments were also working on PPHI payroll in violation of service rules, disclosed officials of PPHI.

PPHI officials shared that no action had been taken against this irregularity by any authority in the government so far. Meanwhile, members of the PPHI Board of Directors (BoD) revealed that the issue would be discussed in the next board meeting and action would be taken against Dr Riaz.

According to Technical Resource Facility (TRF), PPHI model made important contributions to primary healthcare delivery in Pakistan. DFID and AusAid acknowledged achievements of PPHI in improving quality of health services delivery within existing health budget in short span on time. World Bank evaluation conducted by Anna Herd mentioned that success of PPHI largely rests on ability of PPHI to increase utilisation rates without compromising on quality.

PPHI Sindh manages primary healthcare facilities through funding and its main focus is on antenatal care, labour and delivery, postnatal care and family planning. PPHI also focuses on immunisation, nutrition, laboratories, ambulance service and other services.

Apart from that, the organisation also provides services in area of general OPD, eye clinic, dental clinic, emergency services, vaccines against snake and dog bite etc.

From February 2007, PPHI was working on Public Private Partnership between Sindh Rural Support Organisation and Sindh government. Later PPHI was registered under section 42 of Companies Ordinance, 1984.

Sindh Interim Chief Minister (CM) Fazul ur Rehman is serving as the chairman of PPHI whereas Sindh Caretaker Minister Syed Musthaq Shah, Dr Nighat Shah the daughter of former CM Qaim Ali Shah, Tasneem Siddiqui, Nazir Memon, Farooq Haroon, Salman Sheikh, and Dr Saeed Qureshi are members of PPHI.

Published in Daily Times, August 11^th 2018.