KARACHI (PPI) - Health Department Sindh is preparing a law to monitor and penalise private hospitals and clinics in the province, particularly in Karachi which do not entertain emergency cases of accidents and rather referring the patients to the government hospitals which causes serious threat to the life of the patients. This was informed by Provincial Health Department to Home Department in response to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shahs directives on a letter written by Advisor to CM, Sharmila Farooqui seeking formation of an ordinance for taking action against the private hospitals that poses threat to the lives of patients by not taking up emergency cases. The Chief Minister, after reviewing the letter, issued directives to Home Department about the proposed law after which the matter was referred to Provincial Health Department. The copy of the same letter have also been sent to Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and Sindh Chief Secretary.Sharmila in her letter to Sindh Chief Minister said that the private hospitals in Sindh do not entertain emergency cases of accidents and rather referring cases to the government hospitals which causes serious threat to the life of patients. The Chief Minister was further informed that private hospitals in the province, specially Karachi, do not entertain emergency cases of accidents and ask them to go to government hospitals, which causes serious threat to the life of patients. Most of the paramedical staff are not qualified and the doctors are usually unavailable and if available, they are negligent, administer wrong medicines and injections causing unfortunate deaths in most of the cases. The private hospitals indulge in such illegal practices to save money whereas they charge patients exorbitantly and service provided is not up to the mark. Over the past few months, innumerable complaints against the medical service providers by the private hospitals and clinics have been received at my office and also reported widely in electronic and print media. In most of the cases the deaths have occurred and patients have suffered irreparable physical losses due to highhandedness, unethical, immoral and substandard treatment, she told CM. The letter said the government has no authority to monitor private hospitals, so an ordinance may be issued forthwith to authorize monitoring and penalising such private hospitals and clinics. This ordinance may be legislated as a law, Sharmila said in the letter. 17 more 'dengue patients Sindh Health Department has said 17 more suspected dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals of Karachi during last 24 hours. According to a report on Thursday, 476 cases of suspect dengue with strong fever symptom were registered this year, and out of them 304 were confirmed, whereas four patients died. Total number of admitted patients was 46. They were admitted to different hospitals of city. Thirteen patients were admitted in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, six in Civil Hospital Karachi, eight in Aga Khan Hospital, four in Ziauddin Hospital, one in Seventh Day hospital, six in JPMC, six in Liaquat National Hospital, and two in OMI hospital, Meanwhile, 12 patients were discharged from different hospitals.