KARACHI, Dec 3: A cell-separator that cost the government exchequer Rs3 million has been lying idle as the government-run hospital for which it was purchased has no money to run it.
According to sources in the health department, “the ultra modern imported facility” was procured by the provincial health department through the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority over three months back and was handed over to the Sindh Government Qatar Hospital, Orangi Town, at a time when the mosquito-borne dengue fever disease had returned to the city and there were chances of a raise in demands for platelets for patients in government hospitals.
Since the health department has been unable to ensure supply of mega-unit platelet bags, the cell-separator at the hospital has remained almost untouched during the last few months, indicating a sorry state of procurement affairs in the government sector.
The government should have thought twice about special allocations of Rs5 million to Rs6 million required for a bulk purchase of 600-700 empty mega-unit platelet bags before procuring such a costly machine for government hospitals, says an expert.
The computerised blood collector with various functions is also essential to collection of blood components required for a patient of bleeding.
“We have been hearing for the last over seven weeks that the provincial health department is making efforts for an early provision of the missing platelet kits to our hospital, but now it can be assumed that since the dengue crisis is nearing its end with the onset of winter the government’s interest is waning in it,” said a staffer at the Qatar Hospital, adding that the safety of the machine lying idle also haunted the hospital.
When contacted on Monday, Dr Saif Ahmed, medical superintendent of the Qatar Hospital, said the hospital could not afford to purchase the platelet bags on a regular basis.
“The government should look into the matter on a priority basis as the blood bags coming through the cell-separator can be used for other problems of hospitalised patients in addition to its utilisation for dengue fever patients,” he added.
A health department official said high-ups in the government had already been updated on the issue of platelet bags. Patients at government hospitals could not be expected to pay the amount involved in the preparation of platelet bags, he said, adding that the government should make a blanket allocation of funds in this regard as a few more cell-separators had been planned for other government teaching hospitals in the province.
In addition to the separator, the Qatar Hospital has also been provided with a related platelet agitator and an AC machine by the government, while the hospital too has spent a lot on the purchase of a power backup unit and an additional room to make the machine functional.
