KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the provincial secretary health and Sindh Public Service Commission to initiate the process of appointment of gynaecolo­gists in government hospitals of the province.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up a petition about fistula repair for hearing, an additional advocate general through a statement signed by the secretary health submitted that 33 posts of gynaecologists (BS-18) have been lying vacant in different government hospitals.

It further contended that the health department has sent a requisition to the SPSC in January for recommendations of suitable candidates for appointment, but due to Covid-19 the process could not be initiated and some reminders have also been sent in this regard.

The bench directed the secretary health to pursue the matter diligently for initiating the recruitment process and also asked the SPSC to initiate the appointment process soon as the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided to some extent.

The bench also directed the health secretary and chairman SPSC to submit progress report at the next hearing.

The petitioners, including renowned gynaecologist Dr Shershah Syed, moved the SHC in 2015 and contended that around 5,000 women died during pregnancy every year in the province due to lack of healthcare facilities in the rural areas.

They further submitted that there was a shortage of medical facilities as well as trained staff to attend to the patients, adding that the government had launched the maternal and newborn child health programme many years ago, but the funds allocated for the programme were never utilised.

The petitioners contended that there were over 1,500 fistula patients in the province, where a majority of government hospitals did not provide fistula repair surgeries.

They pleaded that the authorities concerned be directed to ensure access to affordable treatment of obstetric fistula to all women in the province and said that the provincial government should ensure that at least one qualified gynaecologist in every district was trained and equipped to provide fistula repair surgery.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2020