Daily Times

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), on Sunday announced plans to introduce new service charges in all hospitals under its administration to generate additional revenue to overcome the current financial crisis.

Sources said a seven-member committee constituted by Medical & Health Services Department (M&HSD), KMC, had presented its recommendations to Karachi Mayor and others high-ups to get approval from City Council.

The committee is led by Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD) Executive Director, Dr Asad Ullah Hussaini. Other members include KMC Medical Committee Chairperson, Naheed Fatima; Ex-Director KMC Medical Services, Nadeem Asif; Abbasi Shaheed Hosptial Medical Superintendent, Dr Nadeem Rajput; KMC Finance & Accounts Department Account Officer (R&R), Waqar Ahmed Kohatti; Internal Audit Department Additional Director, Abdul Aziz and KMC AAO(M&HS) , Aijaz Muhammad.

The committee members reviewed the rates of services provided by the KMC hospitals while comparing it with other public and private hospitals.

The panel had been constituted with an aim to enhance the revenue of hospitals to overcome the financial burden on KMC health facilities.

Members proposed a 50 to 100 per cent increase in service charges in all KMC-run health facilities.

They also recommended increasing and implementing new medical charges to come out of the current financial crisis.

Meanwhile, increases in OPD fee, as well as charges for surgery, laboratory tests, private rooms, are also suggested. The fee of major healthcare centres including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital and Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital, would also increase.

Sources said that since the cost of various medical equipment, meals, medicines and surgical have increased in the last five years, recommendations were moved to the competent authority concerned for approval.

Committee Chairman, Dr Asad Ullah Hussaini, remarked there was no specific allocation of funds from the government to repair and maintain equipment, surgical disposal and other medical items.

Therefore, new recommendations had been sent to M&HSD KMC for approval, he added. Dr Hussaini noted that committee members had already briefly reviewed the lists of service charges of other public and private hospitals.