The SSGC team disconnected the gas supply of five major hospitals giving a final warning to another, to clear its dues within the next 15 days.
The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) suspended the gas connection of National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Sindh Government Hospital (Khokrapar), Liaquatabad Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The management of all these hospitals had been given several notices. As per the official statement issued by the SSGC, these hospitals and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s solid waste management plant owes about Rs. 60 million.
As per the spokesperson SSGC Inayatullah Ismail, the gas supply of JPMC and Sindh Government Hospital was restored after assurance that the amount will be released within a span of 7 to 15 days. However the company’s managing director stressed that the defaulters will be taken to court if they did not clear their dues. He further added that such actions have been avoided till now on humanitarian grounds.
According to sources the liabilities on the hospitals are not just from the current year, but an accumulation since 2010. The gas supply of the hospitals has only been restored after assurance of provincial finance department, which contacted Sui Southern Gas Company on Thursday.
The company has also warned the Lyari General Hospital’s management to clear the outstanding within 15 days; it owes Rs. 1 million.
The gas supply of NICH and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital has not been restored and the hospitals remained disconnected since Thursday.
The provincial health secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo who has recently taken charge as secretary cleared his position by saying “It is not the fault of the health department.” The hospital managements had not paid their dues for the last several years.” He assured that gas supply to all hospitals will be restored by Friday.