KARACHI: Interim Chief Minister (CM) Justice retired Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday suspended the medical superintendent (MS) of a 50-bed hospital in Landhi after he found the provincial government’s health facility in a poor state.

Accompanied by interim Health Minister Dr Saad Khalid Niaz, the CM in a visit to the hospital found that the operation theatre was non-functional despite it was completely equipped.

He also learnt that specialist doctors, such as orthopaedic surgeon and gynaecologists, had been referring patients to other hospitals as they did not have any facilities to perform surgeries in the hospital.

When the CM visited the dispensary, there was nothing except painkillers. There were no wards in the hospital and all the beds were rusty and covered in heavy layers of dust.

The CM was informed that the hospital lacked technici­ans and paramedical staff. It had an ambulance, but no driver.

When asked by the CM, the MS said that he did not report the problems related to the shortage of staff in the hospital to the health department. Medicines recommended for local procurement by the specialists working in the hospital were ignored and only those medicines were purchased which were not required.

Some patients complained to the CM that a local man namely Hasan Jan had established his rule in the hospital and he was harassing doctors and other staff. The CM directed the SSP to investigate the matter and submit a report. He also directed the police to keep an eye on Hasan Jan and not allow him to enter the hospital.

The CM while placing the MS under suspension for his negligence also ordered the health secretary to conduct an inquiry into all the matters of the hospital, including position of the staff, condition of medical equipment, budget, ambulance, kitchen, non-availability of wards, etc.

He also expressed displeasure with the director and deputy director of health for not inspecting hospitals in the province.

Sukkan SHO, school principal suspended

During a surprise visit to Sukkan police station, the caretaker CM noticed that one of its three mobile vehicles was out of order; it was stationed on bricks instead of wheels at the entrance of the police station. Visiting the wireless room, he found the system faulty.

When asked, he was told that the police mobile van did not have a wireless set, so the (wireless) system stopped working. In response to a question, the CM was told that there were 131 police constables in the police station, including three lady officials. The CM checked the attendance of the lady police officers and found that they were absent for a long time.

Directing the Malir SSP for taking strict action against the lady police constables, he said that neither the wireless system was functional nor the mobile van while most of the police personnel were absent from duty. The SHO was placed under suspension on the orders of the CM.

Meanwhile, the CM ordered the suspension of the head master of the Government Boys Secondary School Bin Qasim for negligence and lack of interest in the affairs of the school.

He was told that the school had 15 teachers and 180 students (boys and girls), but almost half of the students were absent.

Justice Baqar observed that the cleanliness and maintenance of the school was in bad condition, manholes were open at the main gate while entrance of the lab was improper.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023