Sindh’s Provincial Health Minister, Dr. Azra Pechuho, visited the office of the Director General of Health, where officials briefed her on the prevailing situation, served refreshments, and saw her off.

Provincial Minister’s Secret Visit to Hyderabad – Away from Media, Detached from Reality

By Abdul Ghafoor Sarohi

Hyderabad: Sindh’s Provincial Health Minister, Dr. Azra Pechuho, visited the office of the Director General of Health, where officials briefed her on the prevailing situation, served refreshments, and saw her off. Efforts were made to keep the visit confidential, but some journalists arrived upon receiving information, only to be denied any interaction with the minister.

According to details, journalists intended to question the minister about administrative incompetence, corruption, and mismanagement in Civil Hospital and Taluka Hospitals. Although she was reportedly willing to respond, the bureaucracy redirected her attention, preventing any meaningful discussion. Instead of visiting Civil Hospital, Taluka Hospitals, and other key health centers, which have been plagued by continuous administrative failures, the minister was given a controlled briefing, keeping her away from the ground realities.

Civil society strongly condemned the secrecy surrounding the visit and the suppression of facts. Citizens stated that the bureaucracy deliberately orchestrated the visit to keep the health minister unaware of the real issues, thereby preventing open questioning or critical analysis of corruption and mismanagement.

Excluding the media, lack of transparency, and restricting the minister to official reports raise serious concerns about the overall performance of the health department. Public circles demand that the provincial minister be properly informed of the actual situation and that both the media and citizens be given the opportunity to voice their concerns on crucial health matters.