The Punjab government is planning to ‘re-invigorate’ the Institute of Public Health (IPH), and for this purpose is considering handing over the IPH to King Edward Medical University (KEMU), The Express Tribune has learnt.
Requesting anonymity, a senior IPH official said “There are some recommendations which the Health Department doesn’t feel like following. IPH has an important role to play in epidemic control like dengue and measles outbreaks. It should remain as an autonomous institute, but some people want it to be attached with KEMU. This will destroy the institute rather than strengthen it.”
On June 10, 2013, the chief minister had formed a committee to develop a comprehensive plan to reinvigorate the IPH.
The committee comprised of the minister of health (committee chairman), health secretary, regulations secretary, University of Health Sciences (UHS) vice chancellor, King Edward Medical University vice chancellor and the IPH dean.
During the committee meeting, the chairman stressed the need to clearly define IPH’s aims and objectives. The health secretary said the IPH was an advisory institute focusing on research and advising the government on how to counter infectious diseases.
On February 20 another meeting was called to discuss the possibility of handing over the IPH to the KEMU. On February 26, the title of the meeting was changed to “reorganisation of IPH”.
Dr Faisal Masud, the KEMU vice-chancellor, stressed the need to clearly define the IPH’s role.
He suggested that its main role was as a health service provider rather than an academic institution. He also said the IPH should have a close liaison with the office of health services director general.
On March 4, the government formed another cabinet committee to deliberate the issue of IPH’s reinvigoration.
The health secretary told The Express Tribune that no decision had been taken so far to transfer the IPH to the KEMU. He said that all that had been decided was to strengthen the institute.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2014.