HYDERABAD: The cardiology hospital of the Red Crescent Society (RCS) in Latifabad remained without any medical services and closed for all practical purposes when its management reopened it on Thursday after a month-long closure.

The management had announced its closure after 16 of its staff members, including three doctors, tested positive for Covid-19.

No services were offered to patients as doctors declined to resume work unless their two-month salaries were disbursed and the hospital was made “fully functional”. The management has decided to restore limited medical services.

The protesting doctors and paramedics have been crying hoarse over what they claim to be “falling standards” at the hospital.

Dr Aijaz Arain, president of the Doctors and Paramedical Association at the Red Crescent Institute of Cardiology, has addressed a letter to the Hyderabad deputy commissioner seeking time for a meeting to discuss issues.

Doctors demand salaries, want the health facility made fully functional

“The district branch of the society has indeed made an announcement about the hospital’s opening today. They are going to start OPD and emergency services alone. Patients won’t be admitted. When a cardiac patient is not to be admitted for treatment in hospital, then what is the fun of opening hospital?” he asked.

He contested the society’s claim that the angiography facility would be restarted.

He said: “We are told that one month’s salary would be paid as and when funds were available; and we have received messages that if we didn’t resume duties, new staff will be hired”.

The society has appointed Dr Ayub as the hospital’s administrator.

According to doctors, a three-member committee, appointed by the society’s provincial headquarters at Karachi, is responsible for running the hospital. But it has not made its presence felt either. It has not been able to deliver, leading to an outcry by doctors and paramedics who believe that the committee is responsible for the hospital’s present condition.

One month back serving doctors and paramedics were told by the committee members — Majid Ali, Rafiq Jafri and Asfandyar — that the hospital was being closed for disinfecting as three doctors and 13 other staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus.

“The staff is serving [at the hospital] for close to three decades; where will they go if sacked? How funds will be generated when we are not going to admit patients and who will be responsible in case a cardiac patient dies for want of proper in-house treatment and care? It will be doctors and paramedics who will face the wrath in such cases, not the committee members,” said Dr Arain.

Electoral rivalry

Rival electoral groups led by Turab Ali Khoja and Dr Farooq Memon have not been able to reconcile, which seems to have contributed to the failure in pulling out the hospital from this morass.

Multiple litigations have remained pending from both sides to date. Mr Khoja’s associate, Zulfiqar Chohan, has filed a couple of cases while Dr Memon’s lieutenants, like Shoukat Khayam, have stuck to their position using the good offices of the Sindh governor, who is chairman of the Red Crescent Society’s provincial chapter.

None of the groups is able to perform.

According to Mr Khayam, Farooq Memon told him he appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to respond to their questions in the wake of Hyderabad deputy commissioner’s reference.

“The then DC appeared partisan and he didn’t act as chairman of the society rather as DC which was not needed,” he said.

But Mr Chohan said: “We are ready to work for the hospital and we have held meetings with the commissioner a few months back. However, nothing positive came out of it. The DC became powerless after the other group used governor’s office”.

“No response is received from FIA or ACE,” said DC Fuad Soomro, who is poised to make the hospital functional. He also questioned the decision to shut down the hospital upon some of its staff members having tested positive for the virus. “This doesn’t warrant closure of the entire hospital,” he argued, and advised: “We should act wisely ... it’s not a government hospital, but a charity ... doctors must start performing their jobs to serve the ailing humanity”.

The DC said he would meet doctors and paramedics as well.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2020