RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) has not completely shifted to the Health Information Management System (HIMS) after eliminating the “Parchi model” as it is facing shortage of computers.

The caretaker government had instructed for the implementation of online token system - HIMS - in August 2023 at outpatient departments (OPDs) in all public sector hospitals.

Although the SZMCH administration is preparing a plan to overcome the issue, diabetic patients in particular are facing maximum difficulties.

According to SZMCH sources, initially there were only eight computer operating desk windows for more than 26 OPDs at three different locations including the main hospital, police building hospital at jail chowk and Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre, Dari Sanghi.

But now 20 computer operating desks for all visiting patients are operative. There is only single computer operating desk for the diabetic patients.

The practice of waiting for tokens at the diabetes clinic could not be streamlined yet which was catering the load from the entire district.

The sources say daily more than 400 elderly diabetics visit the hospital for treatment and to get the Insulin vial. But only half of these patients could access the doctor due to a single HIMS counter. An elderly diabetic patient complains that the system to get Insulin vial is much cumbersome at the hospital and he has to spend the whole day for the purpose.

He says his health doesn’t permit him to stand in a queue throughout the day. He says the SZMCH should arrange some better system for senior citizens.

SZMCH Principal Prof Dr Muhammad Salim Leghari says Insulin is available at the hospital and is being given to OPD patients.

“On Saturday, 300 diabetic patients got the insulin vials from OPD counter,” he says.

Leghari says many ‘ghost’ diabetic patients had got cards which was the main reason that genuine needy patients were deprived of the vital medicine.

He says mostly SZMCH employees create problems to get the Insulin for their relatives. He says he has instructed the medical superintendent to start the audit of all diabetic patients.

“The whole HIMS will be streamlined within a few days,” Leghari added.

SZMCH focal person/Deputy Medical Suprintendent Rana Ilyas Ahmed claims that there is no shortage of Insulin; however, problem lies with HIMS.

He says the SZMCH administration is releasing Insulin vials to 200 patients daily through HIMS.

Each diabetic patient having a card gets Insulin vial and then after a month he returns with his empty vial at SZMCH.

He deposits that empty vial, registers his name, checks his CNIC and then gets a new Insulin vial after a month’s rotation, Ahmed says.

He says after the implementation of HIMS, now the diabetic patients having bogus cards are on the decline.

He says the diabetic patients from three tehsils of Sadiqabad, Khanpur and Liaqatpur also visit SZMCH because it is the main health facility and poor patients can’t purchase an Insulin vial worth Rs1,300 from the private pharmacy.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023