May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

DADU, May 14: The upgradation of Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Kotri to the Institute of Chest Disease has played no significant role as the institute is still facing shortage of consultant doctors and other qualified staff.

The absence of thoracic surgeon for last 47 years has kept the operation theatre non-operational. Doctors have noted the disease to be increasing due to its fast communicable nature.

The Sanatorium was established in 1961 with the hospital status to cater to the people of Kotri and was upgraded in 1991 to the status of a hospital and renamed as the Institute of Chest Disease.

It is an irony that the hospital even after 47 years faces official neglect due to the want of chest specialists, physicians, radiologists, pathologists, thoracic surgeon and other qualified staff despite the rise in TB cases across Sindh.

In the absence of consultants, senior doctors have taken over their duty. Among the three vacancies of chest specialists only one is filled while the rest still waiting.

Director of the Institute Mohammad Sirewal while talking to Dawn revealed that upon taking over the charge in October 2007, he was informed of the non-operational status of the operation theatre.

The Director said patients not only from Sindh but also from the Seraiki belt of Punjab and Balochistan are reporting at the Institute for treatment adding: “Some 150 patients are admitted every month for two months’ treatment along with the provision of free medicines.” He said diploma holders and senior medical officers deal the cases in need of specialist. He called for immediate appointed of consultant doctors and other qualified staff.

He said a ward for multiple drug resistance (MDR) patients has been established in the Institute with the treatment of only six at a time as treatment here comes to around Rs600,000 for a period of eight months. He said around 70 per cent anti-TB medicines and 30 per cent other medicines are being purchased from the Institute’s budget.

A patient from Shahdadpur informed this scribe of being admitted to the ward some three months back because of the severity of her case.

Another of the Liaquat Colony Hyderabad complained that though she was being treated by doctors for quite some time but failed to get admitted to the hospital. Yet, one more patient of Sanghar said he was admitted three months back and responding to the treatment.