KARACHI, Jan 2: Medical equipment worth millions of rupees at the kidney care unit in Lyari General Hospital are lying idle for the past seven years.

The equipment, mainly dialysis machines, were procured in 1996 on a directive of the then prime minister following his approval for the establishment of the kidney centre.

However, work on the project suffered an inordinate delayed due to various reasons including non-availability of fresh water, electricity problem and some technical reasons.

During the tenure of the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Naushad Sheikh, the dialysis machines and other equipment were installed after a formal ceremony where he expressed his willingness to set up a surgical ICU and a modern operation theatre as support measures to make the kidney centre and its equipment functional.

The ceremony was held with great fanfare and attended by the then health secretary as chief guest and a number of philanthropists who had pledged their active participation in the project.

Ever since the event, the project came to a grinding halt and the all these machinery and equipment remained unutilized.

The whole affair has now been brought to the notice of the provincial Chief Secretary, K. B. Rind, by Ali Nawaz Khoso, the present MS of the hospital when the former visited the facility recently. Mr Rind has ordered the health department to take an immediate action.

Mr Khoso told Dawn that the machinery and equipment were being checked up thoroughly by the concerned consultants. He expressed his hope that they would be made functional by mid-February.

He said that the delay of seven years was caused mainly because of the non-availability of fresh water and RO (reverse osmosis) water purification system.

Clarifying the situation, he said that a fresh water connection had now been provided to the Lyari General Hospital as its management had cleared the concerned department’s outstanding dues.

“With the installation of RO system by mid-February, we will be able to operate the equipment and open the dialysis facility to the public,” he added.

Mr Khoso said that contacts would be established with the SUIT for a permanent liaison and necessary guidance. Efforts would also be made to provide free of cost dialysis and treatment to the poor and needy patients with the cooperation of philanthropists.

The MS outlined the problems in the smooth running of the hospital. He, However, expressed his optimism that all these problems would be solved with the cooperation of the hospital staff.

He attributed the root-cause of problems to the lack of proper communication and coordination between the management and staff and said that he was doing his utmost to eliminate the communication gap and create a better understanding among the workers.

He claimed that his efforts had helped greatly in curbing absenteeism. He also dispelled the impression of an ‘alarming situation’ prevailing at the hospital in this regard.

About the functioning of the facility, he pointed out that 1,500 patients were being provided consultation and treatment in the OPD while another 200 indoor patients receive such services.

He denied any shortage of medicines saying there was no such complaint from the patients and that that the management faced no budgetary constraints.

Mr Khoso said that a wrong impression was also being created by the vested interests with regard to security to tarnish the image of the hospital.

He said that he had visited the Town Nazim recently to apprise him of unhygienic conditions around the hospital. He said that the Nazim was informed of the heaps of garbage and waste in streets adjacent to the building.

Lyari General Hospital was built on the directives of the country’s first prime minister with an aim to provide modern healthcare facilities to the people living in the remote areas of the (formerly) south and west districts as well as certain areas of Balochistan.

Though the building was constructed as per a high-standard architectural design, lack of interest in its maintenance by the relevant department has caused considerable damage to it.

Cracks have developed in many walls and seepage is quite visible. The worst-hit appeared to be the hospital’s communication room housing a big telephone exchange.