THATTA: Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ikram Din Ujjan has said that the institution has achieved a significant milestone in healthcare provision to the population of coastal districts of Thatta and Sujawal by upgrading the Makli Civil Hospital.

Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate trauma and surgical departments here on Wednesday, Prof Ujjan also announced upgrading and expansion of the hospital by increasing its capacity from 212 beds to 520 beds with provision of all essential machinery, equipment, staff, services and other facilities.

He highlighted significance of the upgradation and said that the hospital would now be able to cater to the healthcare needs of around 1.922 million population of the two districts as well as hundreds of other people coming from other districts.

The upgradation has transformed the Makli Civil Hospital into a tertiary care institution, he said.

The ceremony was attended by prominent civil society activists of the field, besides LUMHS faculty, specialists, doctors, other senior medical professionals and paramedics.

Prof Ujjan also acknowledged the pivotal role already being played by the Makli Civil Hospital in providing standard healthcare services to the local people.

In order to address the pressing issues being faced by the people of this coastal region, and to meet the challenges confronting the hospital, LUMHS focused its effort on delivery of even better healthcare services and managed to expand the hospital’s in-house services to more than double the existing capacity, the VC said.

The trauma and surgical departments mark a significant step forward in bolstering the health facility’s infrastructure, he added.

Prof Dr Sughra Parveen Uqaili (head of the surgical department who is in the frontline of ensuring success of the LUMHS plan), Prof Dr Mashooq Ali Khawaja, Dr Gul Mohammad Qazi and Dr Iqbal Memon are among the distinguished surgeons who, along with a team of highly experienced medical professionals from LUMHS have already started rendering their services at the Makli Civil Hospital.

“With the introduction of specialised services, the need for referrals to distant healthcare facilities stands mitigated,” Prof Ujjan said, and announced that LUMHS planned to initiate an MBBS programme on its Thatta campus, alongside the establishment of three medical colleges in the two districts.

Prof Dr Sughra Uqaili acknowledged full support from Sindh government and Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) and its regional manager Adam Malik in executing the plan and maintaining the status of operating theatres at the Makli Civil Hospital. She also commended the efforts put in by all affiliated faculty members and other professions especially Prof Dr Mashooq Ali Khawaja, General Surgeon Dr Gul Mohammad Qazi and Dr Iqbal Memon.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024