NAWABSHAH, Nov 24: The shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff at the People’s Medical College Hospital and the People’s Medical College for Girls is causing problems for students and patients.

This correspondent has learnt that the PMCH, Nawabshah, which covers Sanghar, Naushahro Feroze, Khairpur and Ghotki districts, has shortage of doctors and nurses. Similarly, several posts of professors, assistant professors, associate professors and demonstrators are vacant at the PMC.

At the hospital, 112 posts, including two posts of additional medical superintendents, one senior pathologist, one senior anaesthetist, two resident medical officers, three chief casualty medical officers, five chief medical officers, five chief women medical officers, eight senior medical officers, eight senior registrars, one community ophthalmologist, two anaesthetists, five assistant anaesthetists, three casualty medical officers, 14 registrars, nine trainee registrars, 10 nurses, principal of the hospital’s nursing school and one post of tutor, are lying vacant.

At the PMC, 35 posts of professors, assistant professors, associate professors and demonstrators need to be filled.

There is no professor at gynaecology, cardiology, medicine, paediatric surgery, eye, neuron surgery and urology wards of the hospital and the patients have to be taken to Karachi for the non-availability of the specialists.

Five of seven dialysis units at the urology ward are lying inoperative.

There are no ECG monitors on beds and no droppler in echo cardiographic machine (colour) and defibrillator at the cardiology ward is also out of order, causing risks for cardiac patients.

The gynaecology ward is short of beds. It also has no professor to check patients.

There are three wards of medicine and none of them have a professor.

Associate professor Dr Abdul Qayoom Memon told this correspondent that the medicines wards were in dilapidated condition and needed to be whitewashed.

He said there was also shortage of medicines at the hospital as it was not being provided with required quantity of the same by the government.

The children’s ward also lacks beds as a result two or even more patients are adjusted on one bed.

There is no paediatrics emergency ward and no facility for hepatitis-C screening at the hospital.

A fee of Rs50 per X-ray is collected from every patient by the government hospital after clear instructions by the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on health, Noman Saigal, that the same should not be charged.

An official of the local administration said soon after the visit of the adviser on health, health secretary Ashiq Memon visited the PMCH and directed the medical suprientendent to collect the fees.

The medical superintendent of the PMCH, Dr Nisar Ahmad Shaikh, said it was difficult to manage the hospital due to the shortage of budget and staff.

He said the Sindh secretariat had been informed about the vacant posts at the hospital but there had been no response so far.

PMC principal Prof Azam Yousfani said a summary to fill the vacant posts of teaching staff was under consideration.

Patients, students, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff demanded that the Sindh governor, chief minister and the adviser on health affairs should ensure that the vacant posts were filled and the hospital was provided with proper funds and medicines.