KARACHI:Sindh Health Department has failed to supply some diagnostic kits and chemicals used in laboratories to diagnose diseases, putting poor patients in grave trouble.
The largest teaching institution of Sindh, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) has facing acute shortage of funds, and hospital administration is unable to conduct major tests to diagnose diseases due to unavailability of detection kits and chemicals.
Sources at the Central Laboratory of the CHK told PPI only 15 basic tests are now being performed out of 147 tests. The major tests like PCR, D3, thyroid profile, UNDR, B-12 and others are not being performed for several weeks.
Presently, only CBC, ESR, Urea Creatinine, LFT, RBS, FBS and a few other basic tests are being done in the CHK lab.
Similarly, National Institute of Child Health, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Sindh Government Hospital New Karachi, Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Orangi and other government hospitals are also facing a same situation,
The government hospitals of Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad and other cities are also facing shortage of detection kits to diagnose chronic diseases.
Patients are being referred to private labs for diagnostic tests. A large number people are visiting the CHK and other hospitals for diagnostic facilities each day where may kits are simply not available.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent, CHK, Dr Khadim Hussain Qureshi, said a tender has already been issued to purchase kits and chemicals used in the lab. He informed that overall situation would improve within two weeks.