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KARACHI, Nov 7: People visiting out-patient departments as well as a large majority of those admitted to different units at the Civil Hospital are not being provided medicines owing to consummation of funds worth Rs90.1 million allocated under head of drugs procurement during each fiscal year.
The Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital, Prof Said Qureishi, said that measures were being adopted to ensure that regular supply of medication was restored as early as possible. The needy patients requiring essential drugs were some how being managed to be provided with the same by doctors and patients welfare associations.
To a query, he dispelled the impression that funds could be considered not enough in face of growing load of patients as the cited budget was further complimented by an additional amount of Rs1.15 million provided to the CHK under the head of Zakat funds specifically meant to purchase medicines besides other additional support.
However, the existent scenario at the city's major tertiary care hospital could be attributed to absolute mismanagement and embezzlement of funds, Prof Said Qureishi said.
The medical superintendent, who only recently assumed his new responsibility but has been associated with the institution since long, reminded that the matter had already been referred to the National Accountability Bureau for investigations.
Another problem being faced by the staffers and doctors besides patients visiting the Civil Hospital presently is the acute shortage of water. Efforts were underway to mitigate the intensity of situation through seeking fresh connections besides assessing possibility of digging tube wells with provision for water on long-term basis, he said.
Ironically, the civil hospital happens to be one of its kind of hospitals with almost non-existent sewerage system, while only a few years back a team of CHK doctors with good reputation regarding their honesty, dignity and management capabilities had been assigned to supervise the necessary work - this was discontinued with the previous change in CHK administration and the work was assigned to PWD without any surveillance. Despite passage of significant period of time, it is still in process.
Regarding the total budgetary allocation for the CHK, Prof Said Qureishi said it came to Rs800 million annually with Rs580 million of the very amount being disbursed under the head of salaries and remaining for other utilities.
According to him, this was in backdrop of the fact that the hospital has 1,703 beds and around 1,037,034 patients were attended at the OPDs during the last year only while 229,931 patients were seen in emergency room against 258,104 were admitted to the hospital and 19,192 operations were performed during the year.
He agreed that proper management was prerequisite to make adequate and optimum use of available funds adding that necessary administrative measures were being taken to improve the situation while sincere attempts would be made to develop a system of accountability.
It may be mentioned that no fresh appointments of doctors have been made at the hospital for the last several years, leading to a situation where many of senior doctors have retired while junior doctors, though still termed to be so, are no more junior at all realizing their responsibilities in more than 40 wards of the Civil Hospital.
With regard to availability of nurses, paramedics, technicians and lower staff, the medical superintendent acknowledged that there was shortage in the number of trained professionals.
Despite all odds, he said that CHK's casualty department was being renovated through joint efforts of government and donors. He further said that a fully equipped and refurbished casualty department would be functional by the end of current year.
Prof Qureishi also mentioned that a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed with the donors on Ramazan 27 (Nov 11) following which the CHK burns centre would be formally operational soon after Eid.
PAEDIATRICS: The Intensive Care Unit, which was inaugurated last year at the paediatrics department of the Civil Hospital, has not been made functional till date for want of staff and budgetary allocations.
The doctors at the department said that the Paeds ICU was established with the funds provided by the provincial health department and inaugurated on Jan 16, 2003. It was announced that the ICU would start functioning soon, but the staff and funds promised by the authorities had not yet been provided, they said.
Eight-bedded Paeds ICU has been equipped with eight cardiac respiratory monitors, one ventilator (costing Rs1.2 to Rs1.5 million), four pumps and air-conditioners.
The doctors said that it was the only public-sector hospital Paeds ICU in the whole province, where sick children especially suffering from respiratory difficulties, head injury, meningitis, renal shutdown, high blood pressure, severe malnutrition and diarrhea were supposed to be treated.
A senior official of the hospital requesting for anonymity said that the staff of 36 was approved in principle by the health department for smooth running of this unit.
He said the staff that was recommended included one senior medical supervisor (BPS-19), two senior medical officers (BPS- 18), eight medical officers (BPS-17), eight staff nurses (BPS- 14), four nurse aids (BPS-5), one junior clerk or record keeper (BPS-5), four ward boys (BPS-2), four ayas (BPS-2) and four sweepers (BPS-1).
"Due to lack of trained and adequate staff, this unit has not been utilized even after lapse of more than 22 months," he added.
An official of the health department informed that PC-4 of the unit was approved by the then MS of the CHK, Secretary Health, P&D Department and finally sent to the finance department in December 2003. "However, it has not been approved by the finance department so far," he added. - APP\PPI
