KARACHI, Nov 13: The Sindh finance department has released Rs78 million to the health department for the purchase of new equipment and repair of the old ones.

Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday that out of the total grant, Rs40 million would be given to the city government and the remaining Rs38 million to the five teaching medical colleges being run by the Sindh government.

They added that most government hospitals had not purchased new medical equipment for the past 10 years. “The former health minister had moved a proposal to the government in view of an acute shortage of functional medical equipment in almost all medical hospitals, either run by the Sindh government or run by the city district government Karachi. A summary had also been sent to the governor of Sindh who approved the project.”

The sources explained that Rs38 million would be distributed among the following five teaching medical hospitals being run by the government of Sindh: Dow Medical College and Sindh Medical College in Karachi, Chandka Medical College in Larkana, People’s Medical College in Nawabshah and Liaquat Medical and Science University in Jamshoro.

They said the city government would utilize Rs40 million out of the grant to purchase new equipment for the hospitals including Liaquatabad Hospital, Korangi Hospital, Saudabad Hospital, Ibrahim Haidery Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Qatar Hospital.

They explained that before the installation of the city governments, all these medical hospitals had been run by the Sindh government and the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. “At present the city district government Karachi is running all Taluqa-level hospitals except teaching hospitals.”

The sources told Dawn that the biggest hospital of the city government, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, needed equipment badly. “More than 50 per cent of the hospital equipment, particularly those in the emergency wards, are out of order,” they said.

Situated in the crowded Nazimabad, Block 3, the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital has 850 beds, 23 wards and 18 operation theatres.

“The Abbasi Shaheed Hospital recently procured various instruments worth Rs11 million, medicines worth Rs16 million, surgical disposable items worth Rs10 million and other miscellaneous items worth Rs3 million. With the stores replenished, the situation in the hospital will soon change for the better,” officials at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said.

Hospital staff, however, insist that many wards were still without essential — even life-saving — equipment. They point out that many a time the attendants of a patient become violent. “When they are told that their patient, who is in dire need of operation, cannot be treated for want of equipment and other paraphernalia, people lose their temper and the low-ranking staff, as well as the doctor on duty, have to bear the brunt of their wrath.”

Sources in the Sindh government’s health department told Dawn that at least 60 per cent of the Rs250 million annual budgetary allocation of the Civil Hospital went towards payment of salaries of doctors and staff.