Daily Times

LAHORE: At a time when the provincial government was facing challenges to ensure availability of basic health facilities and rectify problems being faced by patients in public hospitals, the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHE&ME) Department is planning to establish a project management unit (PMU) to propose recommendation for establishment of Punjab Public Health Agency (PPHA).

The SHE&ME Department has submitted the PC-1 of the project to the Planning and Development Department with an estimate cost of Rs 164.315 million for approval, raising question marks on this ‘intellectual initiative’. Punjab was facing worst shortage of manpower and medical facilities at the primary and secondary healthcare level, which was why many of the government-run teaching hospitals in the province were overburdened and understaffed. Negligence has led to a point that hospitals often have low supplies of medicines, two to three patients are forced to occupy one bed, while families of many patients are often compelled to buy their own medicines from markets.

Source privy to this development said that the Punjab government has decided to reform the domain of public health and all other matters related to health in the province by establishing an independent and autonomous body, PPHA. In order to create the said body, a PMU was being established comprising relevant stakeholders, under the administrative control of the SHC&ME secretary.

The PMU shall deliberate and finalise the proposals concerning all aspects (legal, financial, administrative, and technical, logistical etc.) for creation of such an autonomous body.

According to official documents, the government was going to establish a PMU with an estimated cost of Rs 164.315 million for one year. Out of the total proposed amount, Rs 73.86 million would be spent on human resources in respect of salaries for 24 employees for one year. A chief executive officer/project director would lead PMU and he/she would be entitled to draw Rs 1.2 million per month as salary. Sources said that one post of chief operating officer, chief legal officer, chief organisational development officer, chief finance officer and chief technical officer would be hired at Rs 0.6 million each. Similarly, Rs 0.35 million would be given to one procurement manager. Eight assistant managers would be hired at Rs 0.15 million each while nine supporting officers would be given 20,000 salary per month.

Moreover, Rs 12.50 million would be spent in respect of transportation while a Honda Civic 1800 CC would be given to the project director with an estimate cot of Rs 3 million. Five Toyota Corolla GLI 1300 CC cars would be provided with estimate cost of Rs 9.5 million.

Sources further revealed that Rs 4.875 million would be spent on purchasing of hardware including 10 laptops, three printers, one photocopy machine, fax machine, multimedia projector with screen, heavy-duty colour printer, two water dispensers, one telephone exchange, six telephone sets, seven air-conditioners (1.5 tonnes) and one generator (50kv). Similarly, Rs 2.480 million was demanded for purchasing of furniture and fixture of offices.

Also, Rs 70.6 million would be required for operational cost of PMU including Rs 7.2 million for office rent, Rs 1 million for its restructuring and renovation, Rs 0.3 million each for stationery, computer stationery, advertisement and publicity, Rs 3.5 million for utility bills, Rs 0.5 million for generator fuel, Rs 0.3 for printing and publications, Rs 0.5 for technical assistance software/subscription, Rs 0.2 million for miscellaneous items, Rs 2 million for services rendered to others, Rs 50 million for consultancy and services and Rs 1.5 million for petroleum charges.