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January 4, 2006
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Wednesday
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Zilhaj 3, 1426
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Inadequate rural health cover
Inadequate rural health cover
THE provincial and district governments are providing huge amounts to the health department for extending better health cover to rural population, but all steps taken by them have not so far succeeded in achieving the desired results as people remain deprived of basic facilities.
Emergency arrangements in government hospitals, rural health centres (RHCs) and basic health units (BHUs) are a mere hoax and no one from among the high-ups has so far cared to check the situation.
A majority of the patients who come to the government hospitals for emergency treatment are handed over a long list of medicines and asked to buy them from the market. The protesting patients complain that the medical staff mostly talk of non-availability of prescribed medicines in hospital stores.
There are two DHQ hospitals in Sialkot district and three THQ hospitals, one each in Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur. Besides, there are 87 basic health units (BHUs) and eight rural health centres (RHCs) and two rural dispensaries functioning in the rural areas. The health department has upgraded the status of Govt Sardar Begum Memorial Hospital to the DHQ level.
As many as 100 villages of Bajwat are deprived of the basic maternity facilities since long. According to federal parliamentary secretary Dr Fardous Ashiq Awan, a majority of the women living in Bajwat are facing problems due to the non-availability of maternity health services. Over 50 posts of male medical officers and 12 of women medical officers and dental surgeon are lying vacant in rural health institutions with the result that patients visiting them face great hardships. Besides, eight posts of female doctors were lying vacant in both Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital and Govt Sardar Begum Memorial DHQ Hospital.
Buildings of 40 basic health units are in dire need of immediate repair. The district and provincial governments should allocate special funds as soon as possible for the benefit of the patients and staff posted there. Almost all specialist doctors and medical officers employed in both the DHQ hospitals in Sialkot and THQ civil hospitals in Daska and Pasrur have been running their own private clinics adjacent to government hospitals.
Social and political circles of Sialkot district have urged the government to impose a ban on private practice of in-service doctors so as to ensure better treatment in the government hospitals. Fees of qualified doctors and specialists are not within the reach of poor patients. Social circles are of the view that due to lack of administrative control and limited visits of higher authorities of the health department, the medical institutions are facing numerous problems.
According to a survey of government hospitals, especially Allama Iqbal memorial DHQ Hospital, the patients are compelled to visit the private hospitals which are very expensive and beyond the reach of the common man. Due to lack of proper attention of government functionaries, the utility of government hospitals has shrunken. The dental unit of Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital is out of order for the last 15 years and the haemo-dialysis machinery is yet to be installed.
Similarly, a trauma centre has been constructed within the limits of Allama Iqbal Hospital and the necessary equipment has arrived from Germany, but the health department and district government have done nothing for the early installation of equipment. It is an open secret that Allama Iqbal Hospital has only promoted the private sector as doctors have set up their own clinics and hospitals around it.
Visiting patients are of the view that the standard of the hospital has deteriorated in many respects due to a number of reasons, the main one being shortage of funds and lack of attention. Though the wards have been increased, the facilities are at the lowest ebb.
The most astonishing thing is that surgeons and orthopaedic staff are serving in the hospital but there is only one operation theatre. It is imperative that more modern operation theatres to be constructed and more anaesthetics be appointed to facilitate the surgeons. The wards for indoor patients are in a miserable condition and no improvement is possible due to inadequate funds. Beds are rotten and the cots broken. The situation is made worse by the large number of visitors. The patients feel insecure because their medicines are usually stolen. In addition, most of the wards are a haunt of dogs and cats.
Similarly, gutters are choked with dirty water. The general complaint of patients and doctors is that clean water is not available in the Allama Iqbal Hospital, as brown water comes out of pipes which have become rusty. The patients housed in the upper story are deprived of water and they have to come down to get it.
The Govt THQ Hospital, Daska, has a story of its own. The budget allocation for it is meagre. Social circles have voiced dismay and resentment over the failure of the health department to create posts of ENT and medical specialists. Sanitation in and around the hospital is not satisfactory and the open sewerage along its outer wall worsen it. The goverment had sanctioned a huge amount for the reconstruction of the hospital building but so far the datrtment has not taken any practical step.
The 40 bed THQ hospital at Pasrur faces numerous problems. Due to the small budget, it is not possible to meet the increasing demand of the patients. The inhabitants have demanded that the hospital should be upgraded and the number of beds increased. As many as 73 different basic health units (BHUs) in Sialkot’s rural areas have miserably failed in providing better medical and health facilities to the people due to the prolonged non-availability of the medical and paramedical staff. Up to 250 posts of incharges of basic health units, lady health supervisors, lady health visitors and dispensers have been lying vacant since long. Resultantly, their working and effectiveness have been badly hampered. According to official sources, as many as 18 each posts of medical and paramedical staff have been lying vacant since long in Pasrur THQ hospital and in the BHUs located in the villages along the Sialkot Working boundary. Six posts of paramedics are vacant since long in each BHU of Glotiyan-Daska, Goindkey, Wadala Sindhuan, Bhukaraan and Aollo Mahaar Sharif, 13 posts each are vacant at BHUs in villages Bogray and Kotla Sukhiya, 14 in Talhara BHU, eight each at Maallo Mahay, Bhagatpur and Joriyan Kalan, three at Sirraanwali BHU, four at Lorhiki BHU, 15 at BHU Ballaanwala, eight at Bonkan BHU, 10 at Dabourji Arraiyan and four each at BHUs in Sorungiyan and Ban Bajwa. Dozens of similar posts are lying vacant since long in other surrounding far-off rural areas.
EDO (Health) Dr. Khalid Mehmood says that undoubtedly the prolonged vacancy of the posts has badly hampered the working of the basic health units which are meant to play a pivotal role in providing elementary medical facilities to the rural people. He says that the district government has decided to make appointments against vacant posts and applications will soon be sought.
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