HYDERABAD, Nov 25: Professors and consultants of different faculties will ensure their presence in casualty ward to handle emergency patients.

This was decided in a meeting of professors and consultants with the administration of Liaquat University Medical and Health Sciences.

Some other decisions were also taken during the meeting of the hospital management committee, chaired by the Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Noshad A.Shaikh in his office on Tuesday.

Prof Nazeer A. Memon, Prof Anwar Memon, Prof Pushpa Srichand, Prof Mohammad Shahzad Leghari, Prof Abdul Khaliq Siddiqui, Prof Rafiq Memon, Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Jabbar Sheikh and his team attended the meeting.

Dr Noshad told journalists that realisation of filling the communication gap among professors, associate professors, senior registrars and the hospital administration was felt after eight years.

He said that a meeting couldn’t be held earlier due to quick transfers of hospital MS in last couple of years.

They all discussed issues and complaints against each other. The most common of them by hospital administration pertained to the absence of professors, senior registrars, associate and assistant professors in wards and at out-patient department (OPD). Consultants referred to issues which they faced in attending their wards like the non-availability of materials and lack of cleanliness. However, the two sides decided to address these issues on urgent basis.

The VC said that it was also decided to establish emergency counters in casualty ward where one medical expert from each faculty would remain present so that patients could be handled with utmost care. He said that Prof Khaliq Siddiqui had been entrusted with the job to establish such counter as soon as possible.

But Mr Siddiqui when asked by a journalist thought that it may take some time. “It’s not easy to improve emergency ward and supplies in a short time”, he said.

The MS told Dawn that such counters would be established by the first week of December where consultants would remain present to examine patients. “Every moment is important for an emergency patient and lot of time gets wasted in deciding to refer for admission”, he said. Equipment would also be provided at counters with experts sitting there regularly, he added.

The VC admitted there were complaints against consultants not attending wards and OPDs. “I have told them that their complaints would be viewed seriously. They would be available at counters between 10am to 2pm. Not only this but they would visit wards in the evening and report progress to head of the department. Normally, consultants never visit wards once they leave hospital”, he said.

It was also decided to properly address issues relating to cardiac surgeries for uninterrupted treatment. Prof Nazeer Memon, who had been working on invasive cardiology ward since long informed that the second cardiac surgery took place on Monday and another on Tuesday. According to Dr Memon, angiography charges had been reduced to Rs4500 from Rs9500. The MS promised to provide all disposable items for surgery. Prof Noshad said that 90-member teaching staff had been appointed for cardiology unit.

Regarding cleanliness, he said that boring in Jamshoro branch of hospital would resolve water supply. He said that the dean of dentistry Prof Dr Rafiq Memon raised some important issues because of the non-sterilization of surgical items and unhygienic conditions which could spread Hepatitis and AIDS. “So sterilization of tools and equipments is essential”, he said.

Public transport system would be shifted from present location in front of Jamshoro hospital for convenience of students, he added.