KARACHI, Feb 20: The Sindh health department is finding it difficult to refurbish and run smoothly various government-run health-care facilities and hospitals in at least eight districts of the province damaged in violence immediately after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi on Dec 27, said sources in the department.
A number of basic health units (BHU), rural health centres (RHC), health programme offices and vehicles, including ambulances, were set ablaze, looted or ransacked across the province during the violence.
According to a source, the health department, on the basis of an assessment made by health officials in the districts and a special team of the department, had informed the Sindh government that the damages done at the hands of hooligans and violent mobs were likely to be repaired only when a significant amount of money was granted to the department on a priority basis.
The high-ups in the government had tasked the provincial finance department and the senior member (revenue) of the Sindh government to look into the demands of the health department and give them relief on long and short-term bases, the source added, saying that despite a lapse of about eight weeks, the health department had been unable to ensure the re-functioning of the health facilities in the absence of required funds.
Rs120m needed
It was assessed early in January that the Sindh Health department would need about Rs120 million for refurbishment of various government-run health facilities, hospitals and health offices damaged under the cover of protests after the PPP chairperson’s murder.
According to the details of the damages and destruction of health offices and care facilities submitted by the DG Health, Sindh in January, damages worth Rs27 million have been done to the office and properties of the director-general health services at Hyderabad, which also housed the TB control programme and malaria control programme.
At the DG health complex, two offices were completely burnt, 16 vehicles were burnt or damaged, 30 computers – along with all their accessories – were stolen, while refrigerators, typewriters, Photostat machines, medicines and vaccines were also stolen or destroyed.
In Khairpur district, the cost of damages has been estimated at Rs14.4 million. Buildings of a number of rural health centres and basic health units and mother/child health centres, along with furniture, records, lab materials, ambulances and relevant vehicles, instruments/equipment and furniture of the BHUs and RHCs and residential buildings of the medical staff were also destroyed.
Damage to the MCH centre, including to the equipment, furniture, machinery, burning of the medical officer’s bungalow and partial damage to an ambulance have been reported from Tando Allahyar.
The health officials considered the losses as the worst ever blow to the available health sector infrastructure and operational facilities, which were already faced with challenges of shortage of trained manpower, doctors, administrative staff, diagnostic equipment and medicines.
Secretary Health Malik Asrar Hussain told Dawn that he had already requested the Sindh finance department for a one time allocation in the cases of damaged or burnt health facilities.
“Though there is no feedback on our long and short-term recommendations, it is understood that matters would be taken up only when the Board of Revenue also completes its consolidation process relevant to the damages caused to facilities in other sectors as well,” he noted.
‘Allocations in next budget’
Provincial Health Minister Fauzia Laari said that she had also been talking to the authorities about the issue and figured that huge allocations for repairing, renovation and provision of ambulances and major equipment would be made in the next budget of the government.
Talking to Dawn, Dr Abdul Majeed Chhuto, the Director-General Health, Sindh, said that Hyderabad, Khairpur, Kashmore, Naushehro Feroze and Qambar were the districts which witnessed damages or the loss of various RHCs, BHUs, health offices, vehicles, ambulances, hospital equipment and stores.
Dr Chhuto said that the finance department has forwarded a summary related to the losses calculated at about Rs60 million. “Since we could not wait longer for the grant of money, some of the affected facilities have acquired furniture from nearby health-care facilities and offices on an emergency basis,” he said, adding that still, there were a number of affected health units and centres looking for special allocations from the government.