10 April 2004	Saturday	19 Safar 1425

KARACHI, April 9: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan has appealed to the retired doctors and medical specialists to volunteer their services for the health care centres and maternity homes being managed by the city government to cater to needs of patients.

Speaking at the inauguration of a conference room, completed with the support of Sir Syed Medical College (SSMC), at the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital on Friday, the nazim regretting decline in the number of qualified medical staff in face of rising number of needy patients, observed that volunteer doctors would be welcomed by the city government.

He mentioned that the shortage of medical professionals had not only been caused because the posts left vacant following the retirements of senior professionals could not be filled due to a ban on fresh recruitment in the public sector, but constant rise in population had also rendered the previous post allocations at each of the 400 CDGK medical centres and hospitals unrealistic and insignificant.

A summary was dispatched to the provincial government about a year back to ease restrictions on fresh appointments in the health and education sectors, however, any response in that regard was still awaited, the nazim said.

The city nazim, referring to the efforts made by the city government for development of health and education sectors, maintained that a massive budget worth Rs20.5 billion had been approved, with a major allocation of 19 per cent for health and 31 per cent for education sector.

With regard to inducting volunteers in the health sector, he said a precedence had already been set in the CDGK-run educational centres, mainly colleges, where some 400 qualified individuals and retired teachers had volunteered their services against the posts laying vacant owing to a ban on fresh recruitment.

According to the nazim, the scenario, when he had assumed his office, was equally distressing in the education sector, where there was inadequate arrangement to accommodate an annual growth of 4,000 to 5,000 students qualifying matric standard every year.

It was claimed that the CDGK not only ensured that the existing infrastructure be strengthened, but also attempted to workout a system to the optimum satisfaction of all through the support of committed individuals.

Expressing his gratitude to the SSMC for its assistance, he said support for public sector institutions would be welcomed as the CDGK was experiencing resource constraints. However, as far as the issue of non-payment of salaries to the house doctors at the Sobhraj hospital was concerned, he said, it would be settled without any delay.

Earlier, Dr Shabih Naz Masood, Medical Superintendent, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, in her presentation stressed the need to declare the hospital a "Centre of Excellence," enabling it to become a modern facility where all maternity cases could be referred round the clock.

She, however, reminded that the hospital running a round-the-clock emergency service and catering to the needs of a huge catchment area, comprising almost the entire city and its periphery, was presently facing acute shortage of staff.

According to her, the hospital, against a total staff strength of 272, had a working strength of 236, which included 14 doctors against sanctioned strength of 26 doctors and 29 nurses against 37 sanctioned posts.

While the annual turnover of outdoor patients in the hospital came to over 50,000, it deals with 6,975 admissions, 4,404 deliveries, 1,153 surgeries (including 28 per cent to 14 per cent emergency referrals), she added.

The MS mentioned that as patients as well as the workload on the hospital was much higher than that at all units, including gynaecology and obstetricians, at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Civil Hospital, due consideration was required to ensure that Sobhraj continued to offer quality services in face of growing pressure of the patients.

The scenario, she commented is also effecting the academic activities at the Sobhraj, recognised for its outstanding status with regard to under graduate and post graduate training programmes. Services rendered through its Nursing School to strengthen nursing professions was also mentioned.

The ceremony was also addressed by Dr Moinuddin, SSMC principal, Dr Humayun Farrukh and Dr Hamid Zaki, while EDO (Health) Fazal Ellahi was also present on the occasion.

Later, gifts were given to Sobhraj Staffers, who managed the renovation of conference room and the library on self-help basis, preventing any extra expenditure that could be incurred on hiring professionals from the market.

Hasan Rashid, Munawwar Malik, Mohammad Zia, Nadeem Najid, Zahid, Ms Tulsa, Ms Nasreen, Urjiwan, Afsar, Syed Samar Ali, Khurram, Ishaq, Abdul Qadir, Mohammad Hanif received their gift packs from the nazim, while shields were presented to Dr Hamid Zaki, Dr Moinuddin and the chief guest. -APP