After four years of my previous visit I got an opportunity recently to again visit the Sindh Institute of Skin Diseases (SISD), located behind Regal Cinema, Karachi, a solitary hospital of skin diseases working in the public sector.

To my pleasant surprise, unlike other government hospitals, this 50-bed dermatological facility was now a different world. The edifice was unsoiled and impressive, inside the building corridors were superbly neat and clean; surprisingly without red spots of beetle-nuts, staff was orderly and the doctors were found attending the OPD patients attentively, whose number goes from 4,000 to 4,500 a day.

Although it was morning hour and the number of people was still increasing, the way doctors were looking after them I was highly impressed.

Originally a centre for sexually-transmitted diseases was established in Karachi before 1947, especially for seafarers, in the same place where now stands SISD. However, after independence it was converted into Skin and Social Hygiene Centre for skin patients that also served as leprosy filter clinic.

It was in the 1990s that need for more professional hospitals was felt because of growing population of the metropolis and consequently increasing number of skin patients that a full-fledged hospital with 50-bed was established.

I was told that not only the provincial government took keen interest by allocating adequate budget but entrepreneurs of the metropolis also did not lag behind and contributed substantial funds for procurement of latest machinery and setting up of a new lab, besides renovating the hospital building infrastructure.

The hospital is now equipped with modern machinery including allergy diagnostic machine, haematology analyser, blood chemistry analyser, cell analyser, latest skin therapy machine, electrolysis machines and other equipment.

An operation theatre with latest equipment is also nearing completion. More than 60 doctors are attending the variety of skin patients who number more than 4,000 a day and medicines are more or less given gratis.

For catering to the needs of skin patients of the metropolis effectively, the SISD establishment deserves commendation.

Such well-equipped and modern facilities are also urgently required in Hyderabad and Sukkur for treating skin disease of patients coming from other parts of the province.

I request the president, the prime minster and the chief minster Sindh to establish hospitals like the SISD at least in the above two cities at the earliest.

AKHTAR HUSSAIN MIRZA Tando Agha,
Hyderabad