Unanimous vote blocks Liaquat University Hospital bifurcation plan

HYDERABAD: The Health Management Board of Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) has unanimously opposed a proposal by the Sindh health department to separate the hospital’s Jamshoro and Hyderabad branches, saying the move would create major administrative, clinical and operational problems.

The decision was taken at the board’s meeting held on April 17, 2026, under the chairmanship of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Vice Chancellor Prof Ikram Din Ujjan. According to the meeting minutes, the board concluded that LUH operates as a unified teaching hospital of LUMHS and that splitting it into two independent entities would harm patient care, teaching standards and overall healthcare delivery.

The board decided that its justification for rejecting the proposal, along with relevant facts and institutional implications, would be sent to the health department. Dr Sajjan Halepoto, the board’s secretary and director of LUH administration and procurement, confirmed that the proposal had been unanimously turned down on several grounds.

During discussion of the proposal presented by the LUH medical superintendent (MS), the board noted that the hospital is responsible for teaching and training undergraduate and postgraduate medical students as well as researchers, in addition to providing treatment to patients. It observed that routine patients often need prolonged management, while critically ill patients may require immediate intervention, including urgent surgeries and intensive care.

The board further noted that both branches of the hospital are organised into different units on the basis of bed distribution, and that their wards and units are recognised by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, Higher Education Commission, College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and Pakistan Engineering Council.

It also said several facilities are available only at LUH City, making them essential for emergency and tertiary care services. On that basis, the board said bifurcation was not feasible without undermining integrated patient care and teaching functions.

Finance post and administrative powers discussed

The board also discussed the long-pending appointment of LUH’s director finance under the Sindh Teaching Hospitals (Establishment of Health Management Board) Act 2020. The issue was raised by the medical superintendent, and the board called for speeding up the hiring process through the director of administration and procurement under the 2020 law.

Kazmi argued that the post should be cancelled and advertised again, maintaining that the authority to issue such an advertisement rested with him rather than the director of administration and procurement because, in his view, the 2020 law made the MS the executive head of hospital management.

Board member Imdad Unnar, a lawyer, disagreed and said the MS was not legally authorised to issue advertisements for such posts. He said the job description of the director administration included human resources management and day-to-day affairs of the hospital under clause 9(2)(b) of the Act. He maintained that the authority to issue advertisements, including for the post of director finance, and other human resource matters rested with the administration director under the law.

The board decided to expedite the hiring process, while the MS recorded his dissent. It also resolved that the job description of the director of administration and procurement under the 2020 Act would be followed in letter and spirit, and that all administrative, procurement and human resource functions would be carried out accordingly for proper governance.

The post had been advertised twice but remained vacant because no candidate had been selected. That, according to Dr Halepoto, the LUH director of administration and procurement had not been taken on board in the hospital’s administrative and procurement matters.

Earlier, the powers of the director finance were exercised by an official holding the person-specific BS-20 post of director administration, accounts and development. He was later removed, and charge of the post was handed over to the LUMHS vice chancellor under orders issued by the Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court in March 2023. The post was later abolished under an order of the apex court.

Other decisions

The board also resolved to forward the MS’s request for a Rs300 million budget for repair of machinery and equipment to the finance department, stating that the existing allocation of Rs82.035 million for repairs was insufficient.

It further decided to approach the health secretary for the appointment of staff in BS-1 to BS-4 and BS-5 to BS-15.

In addition, the board approved expansion of the emergency department by using available space at the rear of the department to improve facilities for patients and enhance service delivery immediately in view of the availability of donors.

Health management boards for tertiary-care hospitals across Sindh were formed under the Sindh Teaching Hospitals (Establishment of Health Management Board) Act 2020.