KARACHI, June 10: The medical superintendent of Services Hospital, Karachi, has expressed strong reservations on the proposal of razing the hospital, citing it was the only healthcare facility for the Sindh government employees.
Sources at the provincial health department, quoting a letter written by the Services Hospital MS to the health secretary, said the MS had stated that the hospital was situated at one-way MA Jinnah Road adjacent to the Khaliq Dina Hall and Police Surgeon Karachi, adding that a slightest disturbance, traffic congestion, law and order situation would block not only the entry to the hospital, but also the entire MA Jinnah Road, and badly affect access of emergency patients to the casualty department.
The letter said that the area was always under the pressure of various religious and rituals activities, as the adjacent shrine of Alam Shah Bukhari, situated in front of the Jama Cloth Market on MA Jinnah Road remained crowded by the pilgrims in all seasons, while religious congregations in the Khaliq Dina Hall, Ramzan Shabeena and Taraveeh held on MA Jinnah Road in front of the Services Hospital also resulted in the closure of the road. Besides the Moharram processions and Rabiul Awwal activities used to suspend the traffic on the road on particular days.
The letter further mentioned that the Services Hospital was a 100-bed facility with an average of 400 to 500 patients attending OPD daily and 200 to 300 surgeries were carried out in different fields a month, besides monthly admissions of 1,400 to 1,500 patients in different wards of the hospital.
It was further mentioned that the hospital was already under upgrading phase and funds of Rs22.2 million had already been spent during the last fiscal year for the expansion of many of its indoor facilities to provide better and standardized treatment to a large number of government employees and their families requiring primary secondary and tertiary level healthcare. The beneficiaries had every expectation to see that this only facility to cater their medical and surgical needs was further improved and made at par with the services hospitals of other provinces.
According to sources the letter stated that the demolition of this facility would be shocking to them, since it was not only paradoxical to the continuing upgrading plans, but it would also result in heavy financial burden on the government exchequer.
PMA: Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association has hailed the Sindh Health Department’s decision to establish an accident and emergency centre, equipped with modern facilities, at the Services Hospital.
Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Honorary General Secretary, Pakistan Medical Association in a press statement issued here on Friday appreciating the government decision maintained this to be extremely appropriate in handling instances of accidents and emergencies in the city.
A number of such victims lose their lives before even reaching to such healthcare facilities, due to extreme traffic congestion, he said.
Dr Sajjad said that in the given situation planned establishment of a full-fledged accident and emergency centre at the Services Hospital with provision for air strip and considerable space was appreciable.
According to him the decision to have the centre at the Services Hospital was all the more appropriate as the hospital itself was a 100 bed facility with provision for well established blood transfusion centre along with OPD and technical training units.
Dr Sajjad expressed hope that the Services Hospital through the conceived scheme would be in a position to cater the relevant needs of the Karachiites as well as those from other parts of the province.
We also appeal to the government to contemplate establishment of similar accident and emergency centres in different parts of the city and the province as well, he said. — PPI/APP