SUKKUR, May 1 Civil Hospital Sukkur, one of the biggest hospitals in upper Sindh, has failed to provide quality healthcare to the people.

According to a survey conducted by this correspondent, the 398-bed hospital has one medical superintendent under whom 24 doctors, nine of them women, 14 specialists, 18 nurses and 150 paramedics are working. The establishment of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College in 2,004 has added the services of professors, associate professors, assistant professors and others.

According to sources, millions of rupees are spent every year for purchase of medicines for the hospital but even then the doctors of the hospital force the patients to purchase medicines from nearby private medical stores, which according to sources, belong to some of the doctors of the hospital.

Inside sources told this correspondent that the medicine purchase committee of the hospital, comprising the district nazim and the DCO, approved lowest tender for the purchase of medicines due to which low quality medicines were available in the hospital.

Instead of using disposable syringes, the hospital staff uses traditional syringe, which are not properly sterilised, which contributes to the spread of hepatitis-B and C.

According to sources, emergency ward lacks facilities to meet any emergency though it should be well-equipped and must have a small operation theatre. Even suction machine was not available in the emergency ward, sources said.

Sources said that since its establishment four years ago, the ICU had remained closed and equipment worth millions of rupees was not being used due to non-availability of trained staff which had been confirmed by Medical Superintendent Dr Iqbal Pathan.

Sources said despite having large number of paramedics, there was no one to properly handle equipment at cardiology ward and dialysis machine, and added that even sweepers were seen handling machines in the coronary care unit.

Most of the doctors and specialists of the hospital are accused of forcing the patients to visit their clinics. Though the doctors and specialists have been provided spacious accommodation in the hospital but they often remain absent from their duty and are found running their private clinics.

Furthermore, most of the doctors are accused of rejecting the prescriptions of other doctors due to professional jealousy.

Ironically, the doctors instead of thinking about the welfare of patients, prescribe costly medicines of specific companies to help the representatives of pharmaceutical companies achieve their target of drug sale, who in return reward the doctors with foreign tours, precious gifts and even cash, it is alleged.

The hospital is legging behind in hygiene also. There are 25 sweepers in the hospital but most of them are found working at the houses of the doctors and ignoring the hospital.

The families of doctors and specialists use ambulances of the hospital but no ambulance is available when needed by a poor patient.

There is also an acute shortage of stretchers in the hospital due to which patients are shifted from one ward to other either on wheel chairs or are carried on shoulders.

Recently the provincial director-general of health department, Abdul Sattar Korai, visited the hospital.

During the visit he faced a volley of complaints and questions by the patients and media people regarding deplorable conditions of the hospital. According to sources, the director-general failed to give a satisfactory reply to the questioners and said that he could do nothing to improve the conditions prevailing in the hospital, which was mainly due to division of the doctors in certain groups.

Death rate of patients has increased because presumably patients are denied proper attention and treatment.

This state of affairs of the hospital requires serious action by the health authorities.

At the time of establishment of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College, people of Sukkur expected that they would get quality healthcare in the city and would not have to rush to Karachi but it has proved to be an illusive dream.

People of Sukkur have demanded of the chief minister and health minister of Sindh to take notice of the conditions prevailing at the hospital. They demanded a committee, comprising doctors, citizens and traders, to monitor the performance of doctors and utilization of hospital funds.

When contacted, Medical Superintendent Dr Iqbal Pathan said that they faced an acute shortage of doctors and paramedics

Regarding the ICU, he said that when he took over as the medical superintendent last year, he found that many pieces of equipment in the ICU were out of order. He said that he had written to the high ups for providing staff and funds to run the ICU. He said that at least Rs5 million were required every year to run the ICU.

Despite an acute shortage of doctors, they were successfully running lithotripsy and dialysis units, he said.

He claimed that the patients were provided medicines by the hospital and no one was forced to purchase medicines from private medical stores.

However, he admitted that some of the doctors prescribed medicines of specific companies for their own good, and added that he had taken notice of the practice and ordered the doctors to refrain from it.

He said that he had also directed the doctors to prescribe quality medicines of local companies instead of multi-national companies so that the patients were not overburdened.