SUKKUR: District and Sessions Judge Abdul Ghani Soomro on Saturday paid a surprise visit to the teaching hospital affiliated to the Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College and the Govt Anwar Piracha Hospital. He issued necessary directives to the administrations of the two hospital asking them to improve medical services, conditions in wards, facilities for patients and their attendants and attendance of doctors, paramedics and other employees.

Judge Soomro went round various wards and inquired from in house and OPD patients if proper services and medicines were being provided and attention being paid to them. He noted down the complaints made to him in this regard and asked the administrations to address them.

He also asked doctors to keep wearing their uniform and badges while on duty and discharge their duties with honesty and sincerity.The judge expressed his dissatisfaction over the conditions prevailing at the hospitals and issued directives to improve them. He also checked stocks of medicines available at the hospitals and asked the administrations to ensure availability of all essentially required medicines round the clock.

Judge Soomro found the spaces and seating arrangements for patients and their attendants at the hospitals insufficient and told the medical superintendents to do the needful to ensure that no patient, attendant or visitor was faced with problems in this regard.

He stressed on special care for cleanliness. He asked the administrations to ensure proper functioning of all airconditioners and power generators keeping in view the large number of people usually present at the hospitals most of the time every day.

The GMMMC hospital medical superintendent informed the judge about inadequate number of beds available at his hospital. He stated that the administration had no option but to allot one bed to two patients. However, he added, funds amounting to Rs79 million had been approved for the surgical unit and it would start providing proper services upon the release of the same.

Judge Soomro during his visit to the Govt Anwar Piracha Hospital asked the medical superintendent to write to the works and services department for necessary funds so that essentially required construction, repair and maintenance works could be carried out at the health facility.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2018