KARACHI: OT complex at CHK needs more funds to go functional
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Sept 25: An operation theatre complex project, launched by the old students of the Dow Medical College in June 2003 at Civil Hospital Karachi, needs the last philanthropic push for going functional.
Ninety per cent of the complex has been completed and the last challenge, the purchase and installation of top-of-the-line equipment and machinery is also underway.
There is a shortfall of Rs30 million to the project originally estimated to cost Rs150 million, while funds will also bee needed for the recurring expenditures and purchase of medicines on regular basis so that patients could be given totally a cost free treatment.
It were the old students of the Dow Medical College belonging to the batch of 78, who envisioned a state-of-the-art operation theatre complex to provide the poor an excellence driven surgical environment for their relief.
Once the complex comprising 14 theatres with all the complementing areas like 16 bedded recovery, sterilized corridors, dirty linen storage and disposal, autoclave, wet and dirty storage, staff and doctor rooms, is completed in all respect, the existing operation theatres, including those of surgical, ophthalmology, eye, plastic surgery, paediatrics and other department will seize to function.
As per plan and understanding with the authorities concerned, the existing theatres will be wound up while the staff deployed there and medicines supplied to the departments would be transferred to the new OT complex, says Prof Shafiq-ur-Rehman, coordinator of Dowites 78- OT complex project. “Now we need Rs30 million to be raised through philanthropy and a similar amount in the shape of endowments, zakat or donations to have a smooth take off of the project,” he said.
Appreciating the efforts and achievements of the group, the chief justice of Sindh, Justice Sabiehuddin Ahmad, who is also the patron-in-chief of the Dowites 78 Operation Theatre Welfare Society (DOTS), said that such endeavours surely meant a lot to the poor patients for whom illness was perhaps like an injustice for which, no one could be blamed.
“My utmost priority in this regard is therefore, to ask as many people to come forward and help the Dowites save and cure those who have perhaps no one else to turn to,” he stated in a DOTS’ brochure.
The operation theatres of the century-old civil hospital have been facing a number of problems due to over-work, financial and other developmental constraints, which forced about 35 per cent of the patients needing surgery to go elsewhere.
Almost 100 per cent patients seeking health relief from the civil hospital belonged to the lower middle and low income groups, and hence could not afford to get surgical health relief from private sector, which was exorbitantly expansive, said a health professional.
While showing different facilities developed on the two new floors added to the old building of surgical wards, Prof Shafiq recalled the progress and said that charity began at home as the Dowites 78 started to collect funds, first amongst themselves and then from other Dowites and later from the population at large and then response was enthralling.
The infrastructure of 14 operation theatres and central sterile supply department, including two autoclaves, is ready to function while two lifts have been installed. “We are also looking for a third lift to avoid shifting of patients from the ICU to the complex on stretchers,” Prof Shafiq added.
Moreover, a floor comprising auditorium, day-care wards and endoscopies suite have been added. “Now we need separate electricity supply for the complex, but the progress with the KESC on the issue has been slow,” he noted saying that efforts are also being made to have a 400 KVA generator as a backup support.
From where the funds required would come now is a big question before the DOTS workers as they have almost exhausted a fund of over Rs120 million on the complex.
“Many people have joined us in our efforts so far, even from the most unexpected places all over the world, and we are hopeful that more would come forward,” says a dedicated worker at the project, showing a recently developed poster asking contributions from people.
Prof Shafiq said that the President of Pakistan had been requested to allocate some of his precious times for the inauguration of the befitting and one of the largest operation theatre facilities in the country where about 25,000 surgeries would be undertaken annually.
