KARACHI: Though an MRI machine at Peoples Medical College at Nawabshah was scheduled to be installed by October 2010, it become operational — after a delay of almost seven years — only recently, said Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro on Monday.

He was responding to queries by legislators during the Question Hour that pertained to the health department in Sindh Assembly’s Monday session, chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Responding to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional legislator Rafique Banbhan the minister gave various reasons for the delay of the MRI machines’ installation at teaching hospitals in the province — in Karachi, Jamshoro, Nawabshah and Larkana, including the one at Nawabshah. The reasons cited were delayed handing over of the sites by the hospitals; slow pace of civil work; technical faults; delayed power supply; customs-related delays etc.

The minister further said that supplier companies — M/s Reditech International, M/s Mediequips SMC and M/S Sheerazi Trading — were blacklisted but later the blacklisting was withdrawn on court’s order. Later the manufacturer — M/s GE Health Care — was asked to install the machinery. He said that the fourth one, the last one in the series, has been installed recently at Nawabshah; all four, he added, were operational regularly except when the liquid helium or spare parts were not available.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement legislator Naheed Begum inquired about nutrition deficiency among women and children. The minister conceding the fact said that according to neonatal survey 2011, maternal anaemia prevailed in 51 per cent of mothers. He said that according to the multiple indicator cluster survey conducted in 2014, the status of nutritional deficiency was: stunting 48pc; underweight 42pc; wasting 15pc, etc.

Responding to a question by PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi regarding maternal and neonatal mortality, the minister said that though the situation was still not very good compared to the developed world, the situation over the years had improved slightly.

He said that a survey conducted in 2006 had showed that 276 mothers out of 100,000 died and 84 out of the 1,000 babies also died. Another survey conducted in 2012-13 showed that between 170 and 180 mothers per 100,000 and around 72 babies per 1,000 died. He said that the government was planning to carry out a survey in the current year which would give the present situation.

A written answer to a question asked by Rafique Banbhan regarding de-recognisation of Aseefa Bhutto Dental College (ABDC) Larkana by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), says that a PMDC team had inspected the facilities at the ABDC, which is part of Benazir Bhutto Medical University (BBMU) Larkana, on Nov 24, 2016 and the PMDC executive committee on Dec 16, 2016 unanimously recommended the recognition of the dental college to the federal government and issuance of a notification in this regard.

The BBMU has also sent a communication to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination in Islamabad on Jan 1, 2017 to issue the notification so that admission letters to 50 shortlisted students could be issued.

A written answer to a question by Nusrat Abbasi regarding non-appointment of faculty/teaching staff at the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College (GMMMC) Sukkur, says that not a single candidate applied for various faculty positions offered at the GMMMC, which is also a part of the BBMU Larkana, in September 2016. Thus interviews could not be conducted. Deficiencies identified by the PMDC team have been addressed and PMDC team would be invited again to visit for further inspection. The college, however, is fully functional, the written answer adds.

The answer further says that four professors, three associate professors, eight assistant professors, four senior registrars, and one pharmacist have been selected and they would be posted at the GMMMC after approval from the syndicate.

Responding to a question by MQM legislator Heer Soho regarding psychological treatment facilities and number of patients, the minister said that there was only one specialised hospital — Sir Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry at Hyderabad’s suburban area of Giddu Bandar — that can accommodate 496 patients that were suffering seriously. He said that currently there were over 66,206 patients and 48 psychiatrists registered in the province. He said that 10 other hospitals in different towns also provided treatment for patients whose condition was not serious.

MQM legislator Kamran Akhtar’s question was regarding poor medical facilities in prisons of Sindh, particularly at Karachi, where, according to him, around 13 to 14 prisoners — 11 of them belonging to the MQM — had died in the past four to five years. The minister said that adequate medical facilities, including clinics, hospitals, medicines besides doctors, and paramedics were available in jails where inmates were provided treatment. Serious cases, if and when required, were also referred to general hospitals outside the prisons.

MQM legislators Qamar Rizvi, Dewan Chawla and PML-F legislator Saeed Nizamani and others also participated.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017