Sources say more than 50 per cent of the hospital equipment, particularly those in the emergency wards, are still out of order.
Situated in the crowded Nazimabad, Block 3, the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital is the biggest hospital of the city government. With 850 beds, 23 wards and 18 operation theatres, it is the third largest public sector hospital in the city.
When contacted, the medical superintendent of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Dr Azfar Moid, admitted that still a majority of the hospital equipment were either in a state of disrepair or on the blink.
“The Abbasi Shaheed Hospital recently procured various instruments worth Rs11 million, medicines worth Rs16 million, surgical disposable items worth Rs10 million and other miscellaneous items worth Rs3 million. With our stores replenished, the situation in the hospital will soon change for the better,” he said.
Hospital staff, however, insist that many wards are still without essential — even life-saving — equipment. An entry in the night treatment book of the surgical unit 3 of the hospital, made by Dr Salim Ali on June 8, says: “In operation theatre on the night of June 8 at 4am linen, sponge, towel and medicine finished. In the meantime, a gun-shot case came who needed operation in emergency but because the above cited goods were not available, the operation could not be done. On this, the relatives of the patient took him to another hospital.”
The hospital staff point out that many a time the attendants of a patient become violent. “When they are told that their patient, who is in dire need of operation, cannot be treated for want of equipment and other paraphernalia, people lose their temper and the low-ranking staff, as well as the doctor on duty, have to bear the brunt of their wrath.”
The Abbasi Shaheed Hospital medical superintendent attributes the poor condition of the hospital to the shenanigans of the political party which previously ruled the roost in the city. “In the past, a large number of appointments were made in the hospital for reasons other than merit. Last year, the budget allocated for the hospital was around Rs240 million. The hospital spent Rs130 million on the salaries.”
Even then, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital deputy medical superintendent Dr Mohammad Khalid pointed out, the number of resident medical officers (RMOs) was not commensurate with the number of patients. “There are at present 116 RMOs in the hospital. At least 70 more RMOs are needed. Similarly, there are around 200 paramedics in the hospital against 350 sanctioned posts. Because there is a ban on recruitment, we cannot have more paramedics,” he explained.
There is, however, no ban on removing politically-inspired graffiti from the walls of the hospital. “The administration of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital is helpless. It cannot stop activists of a certain political party from spoiling the hospital’s walls,” the deputy medical superintendent conceded.
Dr Azfar Moid, medical superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, recalled that recently some unidentified thieves had pilfered medicines worth Rs1 million from the hospital’s store. He added that while procuring drugs had not been difficult, delivering them to patients would be a tough job.