KARACHI, Feb 21: A portion of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre's new chest ward was inaugurated by Federal Health Minister M. Naseer Khan on Saturday. The project is partly funded by the government and partly by some non- governmental organizations.
The portion, which was inaugurated on Saturday, houses a bronchoscope, a fibroscope, besides several X-ray machines and other similar equipment. The rooms for doctors and nursing staff are also housed in this portion.
In the other portion, which was built at a cost of Rs10 million provided by an NGO, a 32-bed facility is located that deals with patients with respiratory ailments. All the equipment in this portion have been donated by various NGOs while the staff is provided by the JPMC.
"This is the best example of a partnership between the public institutions and the private sector that we have," remarked the JPMC's Director, Prof Kazi A. Shakoor, after the inaugural event. Several other projects involving public-private partnership had been launched in the hospital, he added.
Prof Shakoor said environmental pollution was the main cause of respiratory diseases among common people. "One contributing factor, no doubt, is that the people from the poor families generally have weak immune systems," he said.
He revealed that four million rupees had been granted to his hospital as a special grant from the prime minister. This amount would be spent on constructing some buildings and buying equipment for them.
M. Ashraf, the representative of the NGOs involved in the project, explained that every month at least Rs40,000 were spent by them on maintenance. "At least double of that amount is spent by the government," added Prof Shakoor.
The JPMC's director disclosed that out of the 200 positions meant for the charged nurses 40 were vacant. "Similarly, of the 40 posts for the head nurses 13 are vacant," he said, and added that 20 posts, meant for professors and associate professors, and 15 meant for assistant professors were also vacant.
Both Mr Ashraf and Prof Shakoor stated that a separate tuberculosis ward would be built on the first floor of the building. "In this project too, the public and private sectors would be cooperating," he added.