March 08, 2008	Saturday	Safar 29, 1429

THATTA, March 7: Failure to supply medicine on regular basis and non-release of funds for its month-wise local purchase, besides acute shortage of water has developed a crisis like scenario for Makli Civil Hospital putting many precious lives at stake.

Dr Lal Mir Shah, Medical Superintendent and Civil Surgeon of the Makli Civil Hospital, told Dawn that 500 out patients, over 100 indoor and an equal number of routine emergency patients, majority of them living a life below the poverty line and hailing from far-flung coastal settlements, were the worst sufferers due to non availability of free medicine and shortage of water for the last seven months.

He said the district government had released over 50 per cent of Rs6 million annual budget in the head of medicine, now at the disposal of district health department, being headed by the DCO of Thatta who is also the chairman of the purchase committee.

He said the DCO invited tenders for procurement of medicines following a volley of procedural filters, but later on cancelled it, and the health department was still longing for recalling the tenders without caring that the unnecessary snail pace of procedural hindrance was affecting the patients.

Dr Lal Mir Shah claimed that the hospital was running short of life saving drugs, x-ray films, anti-biotics, dextrose drips, cotton, bandage etc. and shifted the onus of responsibility on DCO of Thatta, Usman Panhwar, and EDO of Health, Dr Dawood Hillayo in case of any mishap occurred to the chronic patients.

Besides the medicines crisis, Makli Civil Hospital is facing acute water shortage for the last 15 days.

A large number of people claimed that water crises at Makli was politically engineered by taluka nazim Ada Mohammad by shifting the water supply responsibilities to town municipal administration from UC nazim a month ago. Not only Makli Civil Hospital but the entire Makli settlement was facing a similar situation.

A visit to the hospital would only reveal acute water shortage of water and an atmosphere of foul smell. The situation, if left unattended, could result into an epidemic. Due to the prevailing situation, many major operations were postponed.

This correspondent tried to contact the DCO and the EDO Health to seek their version but failed to establish contact with them.