SUKKUR: The Sindh government should take necessary action to address the issues being faced by the Sukkur Civil Hospital and the Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College (GMMMC).

This was resolved at a meeting held at the DC Office here on Sunday to discuss the issues and review the state of affairs at the civil hospital. The meeting was chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, who was briefed by Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro about all issues being faced by the two major institutions.

The issues included non-completion of the GMMMC building, a shortage of doctors and paramedics and other staff and unavailability of essential articles and equipment at the civil hospital and its laboratory.

GMMMC Principal Dr Ghulam Hyder Rind told the meeting that the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) had withheld the registration of the college for the last eight years for want of its own building, adequate faculty and other staff and modern equipment at its laboratory.

Civil Hospital medical superintendent Dr Abu Bakar Shaikh and administration officials informed the meeting that the machinery and equipment as well as the number of doctors, paramedics and technical staff at the hospital fell short of the standards prescribed by the PMDC for a hospital affiliated to a teaching medical institution. They said that the degrees obtained by the GMMMC students after passing their MBBS were denied recognition by the PMDC.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Khurshid Shah said the Sindh government was taking measures to bring about an improvement at medical education institutions and in the health sector of the province.

He said 67 doctors, 60 nurses and support staff were needed to be provided to the civil hospital and qualified candidates for the posts were awaiting offer letters. He said he would request the chief minister to ensure the recruitment by lifting the ban on government jobs.

He said a new campus of the GMMMC would be opened by March 2017, adding that provision of a sufficient quantity of medicines to the civil hospital would be ensured. He said that an MRI machine would be made functional in October and different development schemes including construction of a children healthcare hospital in collaboration with South Korea and a safe blood transfusion facility at the hospital would be completed soon.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2016