Karachi:Some unqualified employees are occupying critical posts at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) pharmacy department, when qualified pharmacists are struggling to find relevant jobs.
The CHK administration has failed to implement Sindh Health Department policy to post pharmacists in its Central Pharmacy. The unauthorized and unqualified professionals have been running hospital pharmacy affairs for several years. On the other hand, qualified pharmacists have been assigned irrelevant work by the hospital management which has affecting process of drug inspection and patient care.
The pharmacists have a very important role in healthcare sector like purchasing medicines, storing, distribution, and maintaining quantity and quality of drugs given to the patients. However, unfortunately these crucial duties are in the hands of ward boys, store keepers, staff nurses, computer operators and other non-qualified staff in the hospital while more than 35 pharmacists have been assigned irrelevant work.
A administrative official at CHK told PPI that Sindh health department had posted qualified pharmacists in the hospital on vacant posts a couple of years ago but they were assigned irrelevant duties by the administration.
He informed that pharmacists have been assigned jobs for inspection of hospital general store items like soaps, furniture, chairs, tubs, caustic soda, dust-bins and other items. He said some pharmacists have been deputed in OPD pharmacy to distribute medicines, syrups and other items amongst visiting patients instead of giving them their official responsibilities.
He said there were 42 sanctioned posts of pharmacists in the hospital and all are filled but unfortunately the hospital administration has assigned irrelevant responsibilities to them. He informed that as per rule posting of one pharmacist on every 50-bed ward is necessary but due to the lethargy of hospital administration, this rule was being fully violated in the healthcare.
When contacted, Chief Pharmacist, CHK, Jahangir Saheb, said they already has recommended for constitution of a committee comprised on qualified pharmacists to purchase and distribute medicines. He informed that a software will be launched soon to distribute drugs in central pharmacy, OPD pharmacy and wards. He demanded for removal of all non-qualified officials from the central pharmacy and posting of pharmacists on technical key posts.