KARACHI: In a bid to rank Karachi among the ‘e-health cities’ of the world, City Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Wednesday said a major health sector upgrade programme was being worked out in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to improve the hospital management system in KMC-run hospitals and dispensaries.
“We have begun work on the management system for 13 hospitals and other healthcare facilities run by the KMC, which will help make Karachi an e-health city like other modern cities of the world,” said Mayor Akhtar while presiding over a meeting in his office.
During the meeting, representatives of a Chinese company, Sinopharm International Corporation, gave a detailed presentation to the mayor.
It was decided in the meeting that the delegation of the Chinese company would go for an orientation visit to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, and Spencer Eye Hospital.
These visits would help Chinese officials estimate the needs of those hospitals by seeing the equipment and facilities being offered by them.
After that, a memorandum of understanding would be signed by the KMC and Sinopharm.
The contents of that MoU, however, had already been discussed during the meeting, according to which the Chinese company would help the KMC modernise its healthcare facilities with improved delivery system, and supply CT-scan machines, MRI, and other equipment, in addition to making operating theatres and intensive care units well-equipped.
The Chinese officials told the meeting participants that their company was offering similar facilities in various parts of the world, which had helped modernise local hospital networks with efficient facilities.
Such initiatives, they said, had greatly benefited local populations.
They said that they could supply equipment of a variety of brands, which would include after-sale services and training for local technical staff in China.
They said under e-health system, hospital information systems, regional medical imaging centres and telemedicine and diagnostic centres would be established.
Besides, doctors would be offered clinical training while technical training would be given to engineers and other technical staff.
Mayor Akhtar said his administration was making all-out endeavours to offer improved and better healthcare facilities to citizens of Karachi.
“We are consulting with various international organisations and seeking technical assistance and cooperation in various fields relating to medical sector, which would help us in improving our health delivery system at local level,” said the mayor.
He said the people of Karachi deserved to be offered similar healthcare facilities as citizens of other modern cities of the world were already being given.
He asked medical superintendents of all KMC hospitals and other officials concerned to extend full cooperation to the Chinese company and inform them about the real condition of the facilities so that the Chinese officials could make appropriate assessment about needs of those hospitals and dispensaries.
Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, municipal commissioner, and other KMC officers attended the meeting.
Shahid Afridi meets mayor
Former cricketer Shahid Afridi on Wednesday called on Mayor Wasim Akhtar at the latter’s office and discussed promoting sports culture in the city.
During the meeting, officials said, it was decided that the KMC would ink an agreement with the Shahid Afridi Foundation through which the two sides would make joint efforts to promote sports and support young sportsmen.
Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2017
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