KARACHI: Dismantling of hospital to create problems
By Hasan Mansoor
KARACHI, Dec 9: An order by the provincial health minister for dismantling of the Sindh Services Hospital Karachi to pave the way for a multi-storey complex to house a modern trauma centre has created various ambiguities vis-à-vis relocation of a number of existing facilities on the premises and dislocation of dozens of families having houses in the area.
Functioning since 1948, the services hospital is providing medical services to hundreds of thousands of the provincial government employees, most of them affiliated with the education department, among various other services, which are not well publicised and once the hospital is removed no replacement has been entrusted with the tasks to carry out.
According to insiders in the health department, this facility provides medical facility (including outpatient treatment) to the government employees ranging from grade-1 to grade-22.
Besides, whenever some VVIPs, including the president and the prime minister of Pakistan and foreign dignitaries, are in the city, the services hospital is bound to take care of their medical cover.
It is entrusted to take care of medical facilities for the provincial assembly members. Besides it has six satellite dispensaries at the Sindh Secretariat, Sindh Assembly, Sindh High Court, Bath Island, NAB police station and the Chief Minister House to provide all types of medical coverage. In NAB, the services hospital staffers are there to monitor health of prisoners facing corruption cases.
Sources said tens of thousands of teachers are the main beneficiaries of this facility. In addition, staff members of the judiciary, health and other departments also visit here for medical treatment.
What's more is that this hospital is mandated to constitute medical boards for various causes, including the retirement of government employees on medical grounds, medico-legal cases, disability certificates to the candidates for jobs on special quota. In some cases the driving licence branch sends some candidates to assess their fitness before issuing them licences.
Insiders said the hospital’s OPD receives 400 to 500 patients daily while some 200 to 300 patients are helped at its six satellite dispensaries. The hospital has 100 beds, and last year the government spent over five million rupees on its renovation. An ICU is already under construction at a cost of Rs2.5 million and is expected to be completed in a couple of months.
Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed’s order to dismantle the hospital shows nothing as to which organisation would carry out all such services, said an official, adding that the location was immensely congested that might not serve the purpose of a state-of-art trauma centre, which has recently been approved by ECNEC.
Originally, the trauma centre, officially called Accident & Emergency and Ancillary Services Complex, was designed to be built on Chand Bibi Road but for some unknown reasons its location was shifted to this place where severe vehicular traffic jams have become a routine.
Besides, said an official, the removal of over 40 families from their quarters would create yet another problem of displacement and would cause trouble to the displaced persons as well as being a financial burden on the government.
The government has been suggested to procure the site of Sea Breeze Hospital, which is easier to approach. The multi-storey building is already constructed for a large hospital.
Other alternatives suggested include the Roti Plant area in front of the Civic Centre, which is an open space and situated at the virtual centre of the city.
