KARACHI, Sept 30: Sindh Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed has announced induction of 750 doctors in the provincial health department before Eidul Fitr.
Talking to journalists following his visit to the Lyari General Hospital on Saturday morning, the minister said the doctors who had cleared their public service examination were being issued appointment letters.
“This would be the first phase to address the shortage of doctors at provincial government’s health care facilities,” he said assuring that deficiencies with regard to paucity of paramedics, nurses and technicians will also be addressed.
He acknowledged that complaints regarding shortage of medicines and vaccines besides diagnosis facilities have been reported from almost all hospitals and a system is being evolved to ensure that allocated budgetary allocations and funds are adequately utilized with absolute transparency.
About his visit to the LGH, the minister registered his concern about the malfunctioning of the facility catering to health care needs of hundreds of patients from old city area as well as those from Balochistan and the interior of Sindh.
Staffers, doctors as well as patients apprised the minister of water shortage in the hospital as the main supply line had been cut off diverting it towards residential blocks in the vicinity.They also complained of poor security arrangements within hospital premises consequently patients and staffers registered being frequently harassed by unscrupulous elements.
The health minister personally witnessed the collapsed sewage system in the hospital and took note of the fact that lifts and generator were out of order.
The hospital’s administrator said that staffers assigned night duties often failed to reach the hospital due to poor transport system. It was pointed out that residential arrangement for doctors, nurses, paramedics and other relevant staffers within the hospital premises was pending since long.
Patients complained about non-availability of even essential drugs at the hospital’s pharmacy. They also informed the minister that they could not afford to arrange for prescribed diagnostic test in private facilities while provision for the same in Lyari General Hospital was non-existent.—APP
Talking to Dawn, LGH Superintendent Dr Mukhtiar Ahmed Khawaja said that he had brought to the notice of the minister the perennial problems including water shortage and defective sewerage lines causing water seepage into the hospital’s building besides slow pace of renovation work and security, our reporter adds.
It was the first visit to the hospital of the minister after taking over the charge.
The medical superintendent said that the minister had assured that he would take all possible steps to solve the problems of the major public sector hospital in Lyari Town.
The hospital was established in 1974 as being Lyari’s first medical institution with a modern design to cater to the needs of not only the poor people of the area and its suburbs, but also poorer sections of Balochistan’s coastal area.
Despite the fact it is affiliated with the Civil Hospital and accorded a teaching institute status, the hospital denied facilities provided to a modern hospital. Owing to continued negligence, the hospital’s problems multiplied with the passage of time.
Adding to the hospital’s woes is an acute water shortage. The hospital meets its water supply requirements through tankers. The defective sewerage system is damaging the hospital’s building rendering its internal electricity system some times inoperative.
KARACHI, Sept 30: Sindh Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed has announced induction of 750 doctors in the provincial health department before Eidul Fitr.
