SIALKOT: The newly established cardiology and urology departments at the Daska Civil Hospital lack all basic facilities, labs, instruments, machinery and staff due to which heart and kidney patients are going through an ordeal for treatment.

After a decades-long wait the provincial health department had in early December established these departments at the hospital, but in haste. Visiting patients were forced to go to private laboratories for treatment, though the number of outdoor patients at the hospital was growing by the day.

The provincial health department had appointed a specialist cardiologist Dr Zaheeruddin Babar and urologist Dr Muhammad Abdul Majid Umer at the newly established departments.

Local doctors said the cardiology department direly needed trained doctors, staff nurses and paramedics, central monitoring system, central oxygen system, beds (mobile and adjustable) -- preferably electronic and easily removable, head board, at least two defibrillators, synchronised defibrillator and external pacemaker, at least two temporary pacemakers, and resuscitation trolley to ensure proper functioning of the hospital’s CCU.

The cardiology department also lacked a ventilator system, portable ventilator and anaesthetic assistance for incubators, extubation from ventilator and during mechanical ventilator support. It also required a cardiac message board -- one for every 3-4 beds, an aspiration system, two IV infusion pumps for one bed, 12 leads ECG machine, blood glucose monitoring device, serum electrolytes and cardiac enzyme lab facility, and preferable ICU backup and echo machine.

Medicines were also short at the civil hospital’s emergency, children healthcare, women’s health, cardiology and urology departments, due to which all patients were referred to private medical stores.

The two departments would have to be made functional at the earliest and paramedics appointed to provide better medical and health cover to local patients.

When contacted, Daska Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sajjad Nabi Sayyan said he had brought this situation into the notice of Sialkot EDO (Health) Capt Dr Ziaul Hassan retired and asked him to help resolve it as soon as possible.