Sindh cabinet okays new law to take over administrative control of JPMC, NICH

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting of the provincial cabinet that approved a wide-ranging agenda, including new legislation for the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), along with a centralised policy for postgraduate medical residency programmes.

During the meeting, the cabinet approved the proposed “Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Operation and Management Act, 2025” for legislation.

The move follows the transfer of both major healthcare institutions from the federal government to the Sindh government under an operations and management agreement.

According to a statement, the new law would formally establish Sindh’s administrative and operational authority over JPMC and NICH. The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) already operates under a separate provincial legal structure.

Under the proposed legislation, recruitment rules for the executive director of the institutions will be standardised, while a formal process for removal from office in cases of poor performance or incapacity has also been included.

To maintain coordination between the federal and provincial governments, the governing board’s structure has been expanded to include a joint secretary from the federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC).

The bill will now be presented in the Sindh Assembly for approval.