KARACHI:The management of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) has been facing multiple problems in running the affairs of the hospital as high-ups at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Sindh government have unable to address financial problems of the healthcare, credible sources at the hospital informed PPI on Sunday.
According to these sources, the number of visiting patients and their admissions have also declined at this third largest public sector hospital of Karachi due to KMC’s financial crisis. The hospital’s financial and administrative affairs are largely being run on limited KMC-funding and philanthropic donations since 10 years.
The shortage of staff and life-saving medicines, unavailability of advanced diagnostic facilities, suspension of food supply to patients, non-operational wards, insufficient supply of water, out of order equipment and other problems have badly affected the smooth functioning of this major health institution.
Sources told PPI that more than 700 posts, including that of doctors, nurses, paramedical and administrative staff, are lying vacant in the hospital which has badly affected the functioning of this major healthcare facility. There were 2,100 sanctioned posts in the institution out of them over 700 are lying vacant.
Not a single employee has been hired in this health facility for last 10 years. The shortage of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and administrative staff has badly affected the performance of this healthcare facility.
The major diagnostic machines are very old and outdated. The MRI machine, ventilators, incubators and other equipment are also lying out of order while the administration is unable to get them repaired due to shortage of funds.
The 900-plus bed hospital did not receive even 15 per cent of its budgetary allocation with the result that all units of the hospital, including intensive care and emergency units face an acute shortage of life-saving medicines and other essential items.
The major departments of hospital are on verge of closure due to shortage of specialist doctors and consultants. The junior doctors are running these departments due to unavailability of seniors.
The patients are facing hardship due to the dearth of specialist doctors in hospital, but KMC administration and Sindh government authorities concerned have miserably failed provide staff to institution to improve patients care.
The financial crisis has seriously affected almost every service of the healthcare facility, which once provided not only costly medicines free of cost but also food to its indoor patients. Currently, 40 per cent of the diagnostic machines at the facility are out of order.
Director, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), Dr Salma Kauser, was not available for comments.