22 July 2004	Thursday	04 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, July 21: The students of midwifery school of Civil Hospital were awarded certificates at a ceremony on Wednesday after completion of their training at the school.

Dr Hamid Zaki distributed certificates among 22 successful participants of the 15-month midwifery course. In his address, Dr Zaki underlined the importance of midwives in society to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rate.

He said that the major tertiary care hospital was catering health needs from across the city as well as often from remote parts of Sindh and Balochistan. He advised the students to play their due role in society.

Dr Farah A. Bari of Emergency Obstetric and Gynae Department urged doctors working at maternity homes to refer patients immediately if they realize any complication as every minute was very precious at that moment.

"All facilities are available free of cost at the Civil Hospital and patients should come here as we are performing both normal and complicated deliveries and service is open round-the- clock.

Poor people should come first to Civil Hospital and should not waste their time by visiting different institutions and if any doctor suggest for seizure they must take second opinion on the case," she added.

Giving some statistics, Dr Yasmeen said that the total admissions till last month were around 5,080 and of them some 3,000 deliveries were performed at the gynae department. She said that around 40 per cent deliveries were normal and 60 per cent were complicated.

However, she pointed out that the mortality rate had been reduced after the construction of new emergency obstetric and gynae department. "There were 11 deaths at the ward last year, but, it reduced to three in the first six months of current year," she said.

She appreciated that due consideration was extended on part of the Dow graduates of 1977 batch for not only establishing a much needed facility for local women, but also taking care to ensure that trained professionals were made available for efficient functioning of the unit.

Among others, the ceremony was attended by assistant medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, representative of the Maryam Ali Mohammad Taba Foundation, additional medical in charge of technical unit, principal of the midwifery school and other senior doctors of the department. On the occasion, commendation certificate were also awarded to the position holders Shaka Kumari and Kamla Kumari. -PPI/APP