MULTAN: The anesthesia gas machine at the emergency ward of the Nishtar Hospital has been out of order for the last three months, Dawn has learnt from hospital sources.

The hospital administration put a note on the machine on January 20 that ‘the machine is out of order and is under the process of repairing’.

They said that doctors would protest when the attendants of patients argued with them over the non-functioning of the operation table which can work without the anesthesia workstation.

They said that most of the patients brought to the ward needed surgical procedures but the non-availability of the anesthesia gas machine would erupt clashes between patients’ attendants and hospital staff. Instead of improving the standards of treatment facilities, the hospital had increased the number of security guards at the ward.

District government data states up to 25,000 patients visit three government hospitals of Multan every day, and of them 80 per cent visit the Nishtar Hospital.

Sources said the number of the patients demanded that there should be 10 more operation tables having anesthesia machines in the emergency ward.

They said the health services in the hospital had been in a shambles due to indifferent attitude of the provincial government.

They said the provincial health minister and the health secretary would often visit the hospital but their visits had improved facilities at the hospital.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Tanveer said that process to buy two anesthesia machines has been initiated while parts for the machine in question would be arranged soon.

He said that an anesthesia machine from the eye department would be shifted to the emergency ward for the time being.

“Although, the machine is required in eye department as well but the burden of patient in emergency ward is many times greater then at eye department,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2018