NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, March 29 Naushahro Feroze civil hospital has been running short of doctors and paramedical staff since it was upgraded from taluka hospital in 1990.

There are only 31 doctors in the hospital, which has 63 sanctioned posts of doctors. No schedule of new expenditure (SNE) has been approved for the hospital since the day it was upgraded hence no recruitment had been made since then.

In 1990, only two senior women medical officers were appointed against 10 vacancies for the posts. Similarly, a post of gynaecologist is vacant.

A gynaecologist Dr Saima Soomro is serving in the hospital on voluntary basis. She was appointed under a three-year Asian Development Bank-sponsored project which ended in 2006.

Medical Superintendent Dr Ghulam Shabbir Memon said that her name had been recommended for confirmation as gynaecologist but the authorities concerned did not respond to it.

Three resident medical officers are serving in the hospital against a requirement for five and of the three, Dr Bashir Ahmed Khaskheli is working in government dispensary in Jurio Wassan village on deputation.

The hospital has 11 posts of senior medical officers but only three have been filled and one post each of orthopaedic surgeon, radiologist, cardiologist, ENT specialist, eye specialist, urologist, anaesthetist, medical officer (TB) and physician are vacant.

One of five posts of casualty medical officer, one of three posts of medical officer and a post of pharmacist are vacant. Similarly, out of 20 posts for staff nurses, three are vacant and one post each of OT assistant and washer man are vacant.

Many new departments like CCU have been added to the hospital and made functional since 1990 but no SNE has been approved for them.

According to Dr Ghulam Shabbir, eight of 31 available doctors were posted in CCU as internal arrangement, which further aggravated the situation.

He said that SNE for CCU staff had been sent to authorities concerned but that too had not been approved yet.

The dialysis centre was to be made functional but its SNE was also pending approval, he said.

He said that number of indoor and outdoor patients was on the rise by each day and shortage of doctors and paramedical staff often led to violent reaction by patients and their attendants.

He said that the hospital treated 20,358 outdoor patients in January and February this year, 5,240 indoor patients in 2009 and 424 in January and February this year.

He said that the Sindh chief minister had promised to upgrade the hospital and equip it with necessary facilities so that people did not have to go anywhere else for treatment but the promise had not materialised so far.