KARACHI, Jan 27: The Board of Governors of the Civil Hospital and the Lyari General Hospital has demanded more funds and qualified staff for the two teaching hospitals.

At its recent meeting, presided over by the Board’s Chairman, Abu Shamim M. Ariff, it was observed that under a declaration the Sindh chief minister had pledged that teaching hospitals of the province would get an amount of Rs1 billion collectively, but the authorities concerned were failing to fulfil the commitment.

A source privy to the meeting said that under the CM’s special allocation, the two hospitals were supposed to get an amount of around Rs250 million for improving their overall working and undertake renovation and other physical development.

The meeting urged the Sindh government to help get the long-awaited bloc-allocation as announced by the chief minister.

In view of the long-standing ban on recruitment imposed by the Sindh government, the BoG decided to go for outsourcing its janitorial and sanitary services. Despite the fact that the BoG is completely an autonomous body that is also authorised to carry out appointments on grade-1 to grade-14 posts, no relevant development could be seen so far due to the ban, commented a BoG member.

Now, the Board has decided that the janitorial/sanitary services would be given to some contractor, said an official communication.

The meeting discussed the shortage of anaesthetics at the Lyari General Hospital, and demanded that the provincial health department be moved for the posting of qualified and trained anaesthetics at the hospital.The meeting was informed that with the induction of some more doctors, the treatment facilities at the hospital had improved considerably, but shortcomings still prevailed vis-a-vis the surgery and operation theatres in the absence of trained anaesthetics.

At present, the hospital has six anaesthesia personnel and if it is provided with another 6-10 trained personnel, the OTs could be turned fully operational in three shifts, said another member.

Those who attended the meeting included CHK MS Dr M. Kaleem Butt, LGH Dr Khwaja Mukhtar, Prof Younus Soomro, Dr Zafar and private members.

The BoG thanked the Sindh health department for posting of more doctors made available through the Sindh Public Service Commission or the now-defunct school health services. It also thanked the government for the release or transfer of budget for maintenance and repairs.

The meeting was also informed about the civil work contract for the Accident and Emergency Centre and Ancillary Service Complex, streamlining of internal audit system for CHK and LGH, and formulation of a system towards maintenance of all machineries and medical equipment procured by the government or donated by philanthropists.