THATTA, May 27: Pakistan People’s Party MPA Humera Alwani said on Tuesday that unhygienic conditions and mismanagement were at their worst in the Makli Civil Hospital and urged the health department to take action immediately to create better conditions for patients.

She told journalists she made a surprise visit to the hospital after receiving complaints that the patients visiting the 83 health facilities of the district were not getting free of charge medicines, food and other basic facilities.

She met a large number of patients in the Civil Hospital who refuted official claims about of supply of free medicines and said that they had to purchase spurious and substandard medicines from two private medical stores, operating within the premises of the hospital in connivance with EDO of health and civil surgeon.

She said that a dispenser who got himself installed as store keeper was handling the medicines. She found costly medicines dumped in an improper manner in the store in temperature below the advised degree written on the drugs’ packets.

Ms Alwani said that she was astonished to learn that the hospital was generating funds by charging Rs5 per patient as “parchi fee”, which had long been abolished by the Sindh government.

She found only one doctor and a dispenser at the emergency ward and the rest of the staff missing. When she asked about the absence of civil surgeon, Lal Mir Shah, at 4pm, she was told that the surgeon was busy practicing at his private clinic in the city.

She remarked: “Negligence on part of authorities concerned and public alike is evident from the pathetic conditions at the hospital. It appears as if the walls of the emergency ward have been erected to accumulate phlegm. The rooms give a look of slaughterhouse with walls soaked with layers of pan stains and an overwhelming stench coming from the drain.”

She said that stretchers, counters and operating table inside the treatment room were found covered with old and dried bloodstains and the floor appeared to have never been mopped and the washrooms in a shambles.

She said that she had already informed the chief minister about the negligence of EDO of health and civil surgeon after receiving complaints.

The EDO of health Juman Chandio admitted that all the patients were not getting free medicines and the quality of drugs being provided free of cost to a handful of patients was not ‘up to the mark’.

Both the EDO and medical superintendent, Lal Mir Shah Shirazi, agreed that the incentives provided by the multinational pharmaceutical companies were aimed at winning over doctors and the administration of the hospital, which were the prime reasons for decline of drugs’ quality.

Established in 1957, the Makli Civil Hospital caters to the needs of over 500 patients in the OPD and 80 to 90 indoor patients per day. It has a staff of 50 doctors, 100 paramedics and only one surgeon. Thatta district has nine rural health centres, 50 basic health units and 19 dispensaries for a population of over 1.2 million.