MITHI, Dec 4: The people of Thar have expressed serious concern over the policies of the Sindh Health Department that had resulted in the death of many patients.
Sources said that owing to the absence of specialists and women medical officers from most of the hospitals/BHUs of Thar, thousands are suffering for no fault of their own.
A survey revealed that the Executive District Officer (Health), Tharparkar, has sent a report against 37 doctors, who are absent from duty from various hospitals/BHUs or dispensaries of Thar. They have not reported to duty for the last one year.
Tharparkar district comprises four tehsils Mithi, Diplo, Nagarparkar, Chhachhro; 44 union councils, 166 Dehs and 2321 villages.
According to the 1998 census, it has a population of 9,14,291 (rural 8,74,464, urban 39,827), 87 health care institutions, including one Civil Hospital (Mithi), two taluka headquarter hospitals (Diplo, Nagarparkar), three rural health centres (Chhachhro, Khainsar, Islamkot), and 30 basic health units.
At present around 30 government dispensaries are not functioning properly because no budget has been sanctioned for them.
Whatever tall claims the high-ups of the health department may make for providing health care facilities to the people of Thar, the grim reality is that merely 100 doctors are working here against 231 sanctioned posts, whereas all the three posts of surgeons, three posts of gynaecologists, four posts of chief women medical officers, one post of civil surgeon, five of dental surgeons, 32 of WMOs, two of anaesthetists, two of skin specialists, two of ENT specialists and three of chest specialists are lying vacant since the last many years.
More shocking is the fact that 37 doctors including specialists, women medical officers/male doctors, who were transferred here, have fled after submitting their joining report.
Following is their details:
THARPARKAR DOMICILE: Skin specialist Dr Dharamdev Rathi absent from Civil Hospital Mithi since 28-8-2000; chest specialist Dr Ranomal absent from Taluka Hospital Nagarparkar from 13-8-2001 to 1-10-2001, medical officer Kishor Kumar absent from BHU Vakrio since 2-6-2001, medical officer Dr Rajender Kumar absent from BHU Khario Fazal since 1-6-2001, medical officer Dr Bheem absent from NML Mithi since 21-11-1999, women medical officer Dr Pushpa absent from TH Diplo since 21-5-2000, WMO Mumtaz Qazi absent from TH Diplo since 17-8-2001 and WMO Kishni absent from TH Diplo since 21-12-2000.
KARACHI DOMICILE: Senior RMO Dr Ayaz Azhar absent from TH Nagarparkar since 28-8-2000, Sr RMO Dr Asghar Khawaja absent from TH Nagarparkar since 26-6-2001, physician Dr Suhail Ahmed absent from TH Nagarparkar since 15-8-2001, paediatrician Syed Shamim absent from TH Nagarparkar since 16-8-2001, ENT specialist Dr Akhtar Hussain absent from TH Nagarparkar since 29-6-2001, casualty medical officer Saeed Ahmed absent from TH Nagarparkar since 28-11-2000, medical officer Anis Ahmed posted at RHC Khainsar but didn’t join, senior medical officer Asghar Javed absent from Dhaklo dispensary since 17-10-2000, Sr MO Dr Noman Zafar absent from Laakhro dispensary since 7-9-2000, Sr MO Aijaz Ahmed absent from Dodhari dispensary since 26-9-2000, Sr MO Dr Nadeem Akhtar absent from Bhorilo dispensary since 17- 10-2000 and Sr MO Dr Muhammad Imtiaz absent from Adhigam dispensary since 10-1-2001.
HYDERABAD DOMICILE: Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Jamil absent from TH Diplo since 31-1-2001, Sr RMO Dr Zahid Hussain absent from TH Diplo since 20-12-2001, eye specialist Dr Ali Murtaza absent from TH Diplo since 29-7-2001 and WMO Dr Seema Sheikh absent from maternity home Diplo since 11-8-2001 and WMO Dr Shagufta Sheikh absent from TH Nagarparkar since 13-8- 2001.
MIRPURKHAS DOMICILE: Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Shabbir absent from TH Diplo since 11-3-2001, paediatrician Dr Om Parkash absent from TH Diplo since 31-7-2001, MO Dr Talib absent from RHC Khainsar from 9-7-2001 to 31-7-2001.
SUKKUR DOMICILE: Pathologist Dr Ghulam Rasool absent from TH Nagarparkar since 15-5-2001.
NAWABSHAH DOMICILE: Medical officer Haji Shah absent from BHU Arokho from 5-7-2001.
DADU DOMICILE: Casualty medical officer Dr Ramesh Lal absent from TH Nagarparkar since 16-5-2000.
THATTA DOMICILE: Eye specialist Dr Maheshlal absent from TH Nagarparkar from 1-8-2001 to 9-10-2001.
Though Thar has been facing acute shortage of doctors and most of the BHUs and dispensaries have no doctor at all, but interestingly enough those who are at the helm of affairs in the Health Department Sindh, have allowed medical officer RHC Chhachhro to work on deputation at Qasimabad, Hyderabad, Sr MO Dr Abdul Hamid of Thar has been deputed from RHC Khainsar to work on deputation at Qasimabad, and Sr MO Dr Khataumal of Civil Hospital Mithi, to work on deputation at TRDP Mithi.
Besides this three, other Thar domiciled doctors, Dr Jhamandas, Dr Mubarik and Dr Fazal Rehman, respectively, posted at SHLC Adhigam, Pabuher and TH Diplo, have been sent for post- graduate course.
Keeping in view non-availability of specialists, women medical officers and medical officers, and absence of such a large number of doctors from Thar, the social circles and notables of Thar have urged the relevant authorities to fill all the vacant posts, besides initiating disciplinary action against the absent doctors, majority of whom are reluctant to serve in Thar. The assigned doctors for Thar are instead running their private clinics in Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas.