KARACHI, Sept 15: The Abbasi Shaheed Hospital's 30-bed neuro- surgery department which has already stopped attending and treating neuro-surgical emergencies is now on the verge of closure owing to non-provision of qualified neuro-surgeons and other required staff.
Except for only one professor and three RMOs, the department is without any associate professor, assistant professor, senior registrar, house officer and postgraduate students.
Besides, none of the staff trained during 1985 and 1991 is available at the department except for one neuro-technician who assists during elective operations on neuro-surgical patients.
Such an inadequate number of trained and qualified neuro- surgeons has rendered the department ineffective as it is not dealing with neuro-surgical emergencies despite the fact that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital is the only medico-legal hospital for a vast population of the two former districts (Central and West).
In a summary moved to City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, the hospital's medical superintendent, Prof Masood Jawaid, has requested him to use his good offices in lifting the ban on the recruitment of medical, nursing and paramedical staff as it is the only solution available in the interest of patients.
As there had been a ban on recruitment since 1997, working hands were not available and as such neuro-surgical emergencies could not be dealt with at present, he deplored. It was stated that the neuro-surgery department had only one unit consisting of 30 beds and it remained on call (i.e. to take care of emergencies) round-the-clock.
Highlighting the problems arising out of inadequate trained and qualified staff, he said that the resuscitative measures for a serious head injury patient were usually prolonged, time consuming and taxing for all types of staff working in neuro- surgery unit and as such they remained under constant pressure and tension due to the risk of losing patient any time.
"Since the neuro-surgical emergencies out number all other emergencies in the casualty, the unit demands continuous and immediate attention from the staff of neuro-surgery," he said, adding that the operations of neuro-surgery need utmost care and attention of the whole neuro-surgical team and post-operative care is demanding on the time and energies of the neuro-surgical staff.
"Daily on-call schedule with one neuro-surgeon and less than adequate number of RMOs, nursing and paramedical staff plays havoc with the nerves of each member of the staff and as such they (staff) do not want to work in neuro-surgery unit," he added.
Apprising about the chequered history of the neuro-surgery department, sources said that the department, which was inaugurated in August 1985, functioned smoothly till November 1991 and thereafter it often remained closed from time to time and sometimes for years together.
During the period from August 1985 to November 1991, the department was recognized for FCPS in neuro-surgery by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP). One of the RMOs passed first FCPS-I and then FCPS-II (Final) and became qualified neuro-surgeon.
RMO received training for handling neuro-surgical emergencies. Nurses and paramedical staff were also trained for the care of unconscious and neuro-surgical patients and one of the technicians was trained as neuro- technician to assist in operations.
Shortly afterwards, the department was closed due to resignation of the only neuro- surgeon and as such it remained closed till October 1992 owing to non-availability of a neuro-surgeon.
The department became functional in October 1992 and provided full services to patients till December 1996. The new neuro- surgeon also left the department in 1996 and hence the department was again closed and remained so till July 1997.
Though the department started functioning partially in August 1997 following availability of another neuro-surgeon, neuro- surgical emergencies were neither attended nor treated due to lack of trained RMOs and qualified neuro-surgical staff. The neuro-surgeon left after about three years and as such the department was closed once again.
In February 2002, a retired neuro-surgeon was appointed as Professor of Neurology on contract basis. However, due to non- availability of bare minimum number of RMOs, associate and assistants professors, senior registrars, the department is partially functioning since then as the neuro-surgical emergencies are not being attended.