Tariq Majeed
Most of the government hospitals and dispensaries in Sindh are facing acute shortage of life saving drugs, particularly rabies and snake bite vaccinations due to which many patients lost their lives in the recent past when they were referred to these hospitals for treatment. Despite strong protest by civil society and severe criticism by media, the Health Department, Sindh, has failed to meet the requirements of hospitals and dispensaries.
One of the reasons of shortage of medicines is said to be shortage of funds and increasing number of patients. The plight of poor patients can be ascertained from the fact, that in case of any causality they are even not provided with any ambulance service to carry the dead bodies of their beloved ones to their home stations. The hospital administrations take plea that they do not have sufficient funds and ambulances to provide this facility to the bereaved families. The survey conducted by this correspondent, reveals that in most of the hospitals located in interior especially, many positions of senior doctors, gynecologists and specialized cadres are lying vacant since long as the doctors avoid their postings due to deteriorating law and order conditions and non availability of adequate residential facilities. As a result of which, patients have no choice but to visit private hospitals. Besides, a number of vacancies of paramedic staff also exist.
It will not be out of place to mention here that reportedly 75% female patients are being denied maternity facilities in government hospitals. This fact was admitted by the Minister of Health Sindh in the Sindh Assembly which depicts the fragile and vulnerable conditions. The main aspect of the deplorable working of the government hospitals in Sindh is that important positions of Medical Superintendents are filled in by posting of junior officers on political considerations which causes resentment amongst the eligible senior doctors. The Health Department has also failed in its duties where several cases of misappropriation of funds and embezzlement were reported but inquiries could not be finalized against the responsible officers well in time and no stern disciplinary action was initiated which speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation.
This correspondent learnt that most of the government hospital buildings are in shabby and dilapidated conditions which require immediate repair work to accommodate increasing number of patients. The survey further indicates that if government is serious in providing best medical cover to the poor and needy patients then it will have to look into governance issue to improve it in order to boost up the efficiency of the Health Department to ease the people’s sufferings.
—The writer is freelance columnist, based in Hyderabad.
