Karachi:Despite keeping health sector on top priority, two major departments of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) are in jeopardy as important diagnostic instruments of these wards are lying out of order since one and half years, sources at CHK told PPI on Sunday.
The important diagnostic machines of Radiology Department – CT scan and MRI – are not operational since one and half years, causing torments to the patients of Karachi and other parts of Sindh. The incumbent administration of the hospital was unable to get these equipment repaired despite the lapse of several months.
Similarly, modern gamma camera device and angiography machine are also not functioning at Cardiology Department, CHK, since several months. The hospital management was unable to get these costly equipment repaired.
The CHK is a Sindh’s largest teaching hospital where huge number of patients are brought every day from different areas of Karachi and rest of Sindh, and some of them need diagnostic services such as angiography, CT scan, MRI and gamma camera.
The poor patients are being referred to other public and private sector hospitals due to the non-availability of diagnostic facilities. The private labs charge heavy fees for conducting diagnostics tests which are out of reach of poor patients.
An administrative official says Sindh government allocates Rs 25 million for maintenance and repairing of faulty equipment yearly, but repairing charges of diagnostics machines have rose sharply with passage of time and increase in dollar value. Therefore, CHK management was unable to get these diagnostic machines repaired. He explained that the relevant company demands Rs 6 million for maintenance and repairing of only CT Scan. Acting Medical Superintendent, CHK, Dr Noor Muhammad Soomro was not available for comments.