KARACHI, Nov 6: The Rangers personnel have been deployed at the Lyari General Hospital to improve security in and around the hospital. On the request of Sindh government, the personnel of Rangers have been posted in the hospital to check the entry of unauthorised persons in the hospital premises.

Visitors and staff members have always blamed the entry of unauthorised persons as the key factor for disturbing the working atmosphere in the hospital and demanded that no body should be allowed to enter the premises without a gate pass.

Taking serious note of the situation, the hospital administration brought the matter in the notice of high authorities.

During the recent visit of Sindh Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed to the hospital, Medical Superintendent Dr Mukhtiar Khawaja briefed him about problems like insecurity, water shortage, defective sewerage system and slow pace of renovation work being carried out by a government agency.

Being concerned over complaints of lawlessness, the minister approached the chief secretary for the deployment of Rangers in and around the hospital.

The President of Lyari Labour Welfare Centre, Sher Mohammad Raees, who is also vice-president of the Patient Welfare Society of Lyari General Hospital, appreciated the decision of the Sindh government. He said that the deployment had greatly improved the security environment of the hospital.

In a letter addressed to the provincial health minister, Mr Raees pointed out the poor condition of medical ward due to slow pace of repair works. He said the patients were facing a lot of problems because of broken toilets and washrooms. Other problems he listed were lack of facilities in gynaecology ward, poor lift service and water shortage.

When contacted, Lyari General Hospital MS Mukhtiar Khawaja conceded that water shortage problem existed which called for early solution, saying that efforts were being made to find out a permanent solution as the issue was linked with the overall supply situation of the locality.

He said that the administration was working on a two-pronged strategy to improve the general hygienic condition and security environment at the same time.

For this purpose, all efforts were being made to improve infrastructure of the hospital, he said and added that these objectives could not be achieved without coordinated efforts of all concerned.

UNIT OPENED: Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman on Monday asked the EDO (Health) to set up a dengue fever unit coupled with dengue fever lab test facilities on emergency basis in the Lyari General Hospital.—PPI