Sindh govt should clarify position on agreement with hospitals: Murad Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed has raised questions regarding the transparency of the agreement signed with private hospitals amid coronavirus crisis, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Murad Saeed suspected that the Sindh government’s agreement with five hospitals was apparently an attempt to misuse public funds in the name of COVID-19.

The federal minister questioned Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to clarify details of the agreement with the hospitals.

Read: Sindh to ink deal with private hospitals for COVID-19 patients’ treatment

He said it was a shameful and condemnable act by stealing public money. Saeed said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and CM Murad Ali Shah should clarify their position for using special hospitals.

The minister added that the nation wanted to know details of the agreement and its records to ensure its transparency.

Saeed said that the federal government made arrangements for the citizens for providing them with free medical facilities, whereas, the ‘Zardari gang’ wanted to steal the money from the needy people.

He reminded that the Centre directed only to protection equipment to the medical staff, however, Bilawal and CM Shah made a suspicious move by signing an agreement with the hospitals.

Read: Sindh govt to set up six infectious diseases’ hospitals: minister

He was of the view that the situation would be very different if the funds worth Rs5.5 trillion spent on the health sector. Murad Saeed said that the Centre will not tolerate any corrupt practice by the Sindh government.

Earlier on Wednesday, the government of Sindh had prepared a draft for agreement with private hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

According to the draft, a core group comprises of private hospitals will be constituted for treatment of the coronavirus patients. The Liaquat National Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital, South City Hospital, Patel Hospital and Altamash Hospital will be included in the group of hospitals involved in the agreement.

The patients will be provided medical facilities at selected privately owned hospitals.