LARKANA: The Sindh health secretary was informed on Tuesday that professors and consultants working at Chandka Medical College Teaching Hospital might stop duties as administrative issues being faced by them had attained critical levels.

In a letter addressed to the health secretary, Chandka Medical College (CMC) principal Prof Kheo Ram Dholia said that for a couple of months, he had been observing and receiving many complaints from professors and consultants of the college regarding non-provision of medicines for patients in wards and operating theatres.

Among other grave issues, the principal said unavailability or non-functioning of operating theatre equipment and instruments, including autoclave and air-conditioners to perform surgeries in any emergency posed hindrances in providing quality healthcare to patients.

He said personal protection equipment (PPE) were also not being provided to the professors and consultants attending patients in wards and providing services in the outpatient departments. Cleanliness in wards was also pathetic while non-provision of administrative support in maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs) pertaining to Covid-19 posed health hazards to the doctors working there, the principal said.

He also said the CMC under the umbrella of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) provided healthcare facilities to the upper Sindh and adjoining areas of Punjab and Balochistan whereas the Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana was the allied teaching hospital. Describing majority of the problems as ‘chronic’, he said the teaching hospital’s Larkana medical superintendent (MS) had failed in resolving the issues.

Many of the consultants have tested positive for Covid-19 because of what he called non-cooperation of the MS, non-availability of PPE and lack of arrangements as per SOPs required at the hospital in the face of the pandemic.

Numerous meetings were held and requests made to him [MS], but in vain, he said, adding that the MS turned a deaf ear to the critical issues and behaved awkwardly, rudely and irresponsibly even in the national emergency. Now the situation had attained the level of fear and uncertainty among patients and consultants, he said.

Without supply of the required medicines and equipment, especially PPE, and safety measures during the pandemic, the hospital might face huge problems, including withdrawal behaviour from professors and consultants, the principal apprehended

He called for taking necessary action as soon as possible to avoid any unpleasant incident or loss at workplace. The principal has sent copies of the letter to the deans of faculties (clinical side) of the university, deputy commissioner while the vice chancellor and registrar of the SMBBMU were also informed about the situation.

When this reporter tried to contact the principal on phone, SMS and WhatsApp, he did not respond. But Prof Malik Ihsan, president of the Young Consultants Association Larkana chapter, confirmed to Dawn on Tuesday that the principal had written the letter.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that two more paramedics posted in the ENT department of Chandka Medical College Hospital were on Tuesday tested positive for Covid-19, raising the figure to seven in the same department. Sources in the department confirmed the reports, saying that the health officials had delayed in disclosing the cases to the department.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020