By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI- Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) last week disconnected gas supply of a number of government hospitals of the metropolis over non-payment of gas bills. The hospitals having a cumulative amount of Rs39.70 million outstanding against them on account of gas charges include Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Sindh government hospital, Liaquatabad and Sindh government hospital, Khokrapar. According to SSGC’s officials, all these organizations were being regularly served monthly notices since January 2015 with copy of each notice sent to Sindh chief secretary and secretary health. However, following expiry of May 20 deadline fixed by the SSGC for clearance of all outstanding dues, the gas utility’s recovery department had no choice but to disconnect their gas supply. Most of the defaulting organizations have reportedly assured the SSGC’s authorities that they will clear outstanding bills in a week or a fortnight. Sources said that the SSGC as per its policy always avoid disconnecting gas supply to hospitals and other health care institutions on humanitarian grounds and provide ample opportunity to all defaulting institutions to clear their outstanding bills. Meanwhile, SSGC’s managing director has maintained that if the defaulting organizations did not clear their outstanding dues, their cases will be referred to courts.
