KARACHI, Oct 15: Though there are many dispensaries in SITE Town, which on the papers are called healthcare centres, they practically ceased to function in the prevailing circumstances.
These dispensaries are running under the aegis of the city and provincial governments, which spend a lot of funds every month on the staff salaries, purchase of medicines and maintenance of infrastructure, but the output seems to be nothing. The dispensaries are lacking even the life saving drugs and diagnostic equipment. In case of emergency, taking patients to these so-called healthcare centres is nothing but wastage of time and money.
The health department authorities have failed to improve the dispensaries, which could help provide relief to the ailing people and reduce burden on hospitals.
During visits to the dispensaries in SITE Town, it was observed that almost all the dispensaries had been constructed on spacious plots. Some of the plots are so vast that they could be utilised for addition of new departments besides residential purposes.
SITE Town with a 692,908 population has no big hospital and the patients are shifted to Abbasi Shaheed and Qatar hospitals, which are already overburdened.
It was learnt that these dispensaries were playing the role of rural health centres and basic health units, where hundreds of patients were getting medical treatment daily in the past. But the number of patients started decreasing due to deteriorating conditions at the dispensaries and now people have even forgotten their location.
The health department officials are well aware of the fact that how a building without water, electricity, diagnostic equipments and life saving drugs can function as a healthcare centre. It is also a fact that every year millions of rupees are allocated for the purchase and maintenance of diagnostic equipments and medicines, but the situation is getting worse.
Doctors also criticised the role of public works department for its failure to repair the buildings, and sewerage lines saying that some of the buildings were near to collapse, which had endangered lives of the people.
During visit to the dispensaries in the town, a nine-room structure was found in the use of drug addicts. The building, once a dispensary located in the centre of Bawani Challi, is now known for the business of heroin and hashish. Doors, windows, steel spikes, water taps, electrical fittings and other accessories have been stolen and only the building structure is standing.
Area people told Dawn that it was a reasonable healthcare centre in the past but fell prey to the official negligence. They expressed their apprehension that if the government did not take notice of the situation, land grabbers might get hold of the land.
A local notable, Gul Rung Shah, emphasised upon the health department authorities to reconstruct it as mostly inhabitants of the area were the poor labourers and could not afford to visit big hospitals for treatment. The presence of drug addicts in the area was also threatening the future of youngsters, he said.
Situated in the old Golimar, the dispensary of Rexer Lane has developed wide cracks and is about to collapse.
A staff member disclosed that a tender for its repair had been approved. However, he said that repair was not the only solution to the problem as the entire building needed reconstruction. The officials of a foreign donor agency had also objected to the poor condition of its building, he said.
The number of patients in the general OPD is reported about 25. The dispensary has no sewerage line. Its ground level is very low and in case of rainfall water flows into the building.
The Aban Shaheed dispensary is situated near the Metroville graveyard, where an average number of patients in the daily outpatient department were reported from 30 to 50.
The staff told that there was no permanent sweeper in the dispensary, adding that a sweeper from another dispensary had to come there only three days a week. Five fans and two water motors have been stolen and now there is no arrangement for water supply to the overhead tank. The furniture has also got broken.
In the absence of medical officer, a lady health visitor was examining the patients. The staff demanded supply of gas and permanent residential facility for the watchman in the premises. When asked, the staff rejected public complaints about non-availability of medicines at the dispensary.
Another healthcare centre, Ismail Shaheed dispensary is located in Pathan Colony, where the average number of patients in the daily OPD is reported 15. The water and toilet facilities are not available and the post of sweeper has been vacant since long. Fans and windows have been stolen. The boundary wall has collapsed and the sewerage line is completely chocked.
Four of its seven rooms had been used by the UC nazim for his office. Though he has vacated the rooms now, the rooms are yet to be handed over to the dispensary staff. The sewage of the nearby houses is flowing towards the dispensary building, which is a constant problem for the staff and patients as well.
In the absence of medical officer who was reportedly on a three-day leave, a store in charge was treating the patients, who claimed to have enough experience to diagnose the diseases and prescribe the medicines.
The Manghopir Maternity Home is situated on the main Manghopir Road near the Golimar Park. This 20-bed maternity home too has no resident medical officer. The sitting doctor is a consultant, who has been deputed here from the schools health services. Besides, there are six nurses, four midwives, and a lady health visitor to serve patients.
A maternity home means to provide the facilities on 24 hour basis, but due to non-availability of the RMO it does not function round-the-clock. Due to lack of facilities and medicines, the number of patients in the general OPD is 15 to 25 only. One of the two ambulances here is out of order and needs repair.
Renovation of the building was started, but stopped for unknown reasons. The healthcare centre has no proper supply of water and its sewerage system has also completely collapsed. Overflowing sewage in the corridors could cause serious health hazardous, the staff said.
They also complained of power fluctuations owing to which the diagnostic facilities ceased to function. It was told that MPA Farida Baloch had allocated Rs300,000 for installation of a PMT. The MPA also helped arranging X-ray and ultrasound machines, two incubators, which would be installed once power supply was properly restored, they added.
The Rashid Minhas Shaheed Dispensary, situated in Frontier Colony, is in pathetic condition. All the damaged furniture has been dumped in the main hall. Area people use the premises for dumping garbage. The leaking sewerage line needs to be repaired. The pumping motor has been stolen and a staff member brought another motor. The overhead water tank has developed cracks. The medical officer was not available for comments.
Another 15-beded maternity home in the town is located at Hasrat Mohani Colony, which too has no diagnostic facility. The water supply has been disconnected and the pumping motor is also not available. Electricity has been drawn through an illegal hook.
The doctor at the maternity home told Dawn that in the past it had an ambulance, but now there was no such vehicle available. The ultrasound and weight machines have been out of order since long. It has no incubator and X-ray facilities. Termites have destroyed the doors, windows and furniture.
The posts of lady health visitor, three nurses and a female servant have been lying vacant since long, while its watchman is performing duties somewhere else without officially intimating the in charge of the maternity home. The sweeper is also said to be very irregular in her duties.
When asked about the repairs, the doctor said that maintenance funds were not provided and she had to make it from her own pocket. The number of outdoor patients is said to be between 30 and 40 per day.
The Hasrat Mohani Medical Complex is situated along the maternity home, which also has no water supply arrangement and its overhead water tank is open to dust. The ultrasound machine has been out of order for the last about four years. The complex has a laboratory technician, but there is an acute shortage of X-ray films. New furniture has not been provided since 1988. Six of the ceiling fans are said to be out of order. The doors of almost all the rooms have been hollowed by termites and need repairs. Two posts of sweepers are vacant.
Two doctors are posted at the complex. The male doctor takes TB cases and the lady doctor performs her duties here three days a week as she also works at the Manghopir Maternity Home. About 37 TB patients are taking regular treatment at complex.
The Sindh Govt Dispensary, located at Qasba Colony UC-8, has been functioning in a rented building since its inception about eight years back.
It is the only healthcare centre in the colony having a population of 70,000. During a visit to the dispensary it was observed that a staffer, who identified himself as supervisor was examining the patients and the doctor was reportedly on another official duty.
The dispensary has neither electricity nor water and toilet facilities while the number of patients in the daily outpatient department is reported around 200.
Similar situation was witnessed at the Wilayatabad Dispensary, which has been dislocated thrice since its inception.
KARACHI, Oct 15: Though there are many dispensaries in SITE Town, which on the papers are called healthcare centres, they practically ceased to function in the prevailing circumstances.
