KARACHI, March 27: The board of governors of the Civil Hospital of Karachi (CHK) and the Lyari General Hospital (LGH) on Tuesday deferred a proposal about free supply of food to the attendants of patients at the CHK.
A source privy to the meeting of the board told Dawn that the board members were informed that an NGO was willing to arrange free meals for persons accompanying patients at the CHK in a manner similar to what was in vogue at a couple of federal government-run health institutions in the city.
It was learnt that the NGO had asked for the provision of space within the limits of the CHK for the free food service, which involved some construction works as well.
A couple of members observed that a team of the board should visit the premises where the NGO was already extending such services and also look into other relevant aspects in order to ensure a fool-proof system beneficial to patients, without putting the government or the hospitals under any obligation, added the source.
It was also not known that what would be the definition of attendants. In addition to about 2,000 in-house patients, a number of patients visit the OPDs as well.
However, a CHK press release said that the attendants of patients would be supplied with free food by the local NGO in the near future.
The BoG met on Tuesday with its chairman Abu Shamim M. Ariff in the chair. Among others, Secretary for Health of Sindh Prof Noshad A. Sheikh, Vice-Chancellor of DUHS Prof Masood Hameed Khan, medical superintendents of the CHK and the LGH, Dr M. Kaleem Butt and Dr Mukhtar Khawaja respectively, Abdul Sami Khan and Kauser Pervaiz also attended the meeting.
The meeting was also informed that works pertaining to an exclusive supply of electricity to the new 14 operation theatres complex of the CHK was in progress.
The new complex having, among other facilities, central sterilisation department, modern television video system attached to the Dow University of Health Science auditorium to telecast the live surgery processes for undergraduate and postgraduate students will become functional next month.
The meeting resolved that the Sindh Home Department will be approached for full-fledged and permanent security arrangements for the CHK and the LGH.
Fire-escape staircases and other civil works related to fire emergencies or fire-fighting matters were taken up with the Works and Services Department of the government and an on ground development was likely soon, the meeting was told.
The committee was also finalised at the meeting to evaluate the shortfalls or bottlenecks related to the “Accident and Emergency Centre” and “Ancillary Services Complex” of the CHK.
