LARKANA: The faculty of Paeds Medicine Department of Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana, has objected to the shifting of Paeds Unit-III from first floor to the second floor of the building apprehending lack of vital facilities
In a letter written to the CMCH Medical Superintendent (MS), Chairperson of the Department of Pediatrics, Prof. Shanti Lal of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Dr. Shankar Lal, Associate Professor, Dr. Dilijan, Dr. Nazimuddin Soomro, Dr. Nazia Faraz, assistant professors, wrote to the MS that owing to the requirement of vital facilities and structure of the building for which they have been constantly writing it is not possible to shift Unit-3 from ground floor to second floor.
They said if the ward is shifted forcefully serious consequences/issues may happen in future which include heat exhaustion/stroke related morbidities and mortalities, hypothermia related morbidities/mortalities in winter season, expiry mishap may happen during shifting process of patients from CLF children emergency to ward because of unavailability of lift/ramp.
They further said that there are only two rooms on the second floor which will decrease beds which make it impossible to accommodate patients of five rooms containing 60 beds. Non-availability of seminar room and library for undergraduate and postgraduates teaching purposes as per basic requirement of HEC and PMC. Insufficient infrastructure in form of duty rooms/washrooms, electricity and central oxygen system, they added.
Hence the faculty unanimously regrets the shifting of Paeds Unit-3 in the best interest of soft, fragile and “already malnourished pediatric patients”. They further requested to keep the letter on record for future. When CMCH MS Dr. Abdul Sattar Shaikh was asked why the unit-3 is being shifted, he said a Paeds Emergency and Neonatal Emergency is being established there. When asked why a new building is not being built adjacent to the existing building despite availability of funds he said the survey team has finalized it.
Additional Medical Superintendent Dr. Hassan Chandio said that daily OPD of the Pediatric Department is over 1000 which was allotted eight rooms at the ground floor previously. He said now the administration has demolished every room and made a large hall where doctors will examine the newborns along with their mothers and other attendants which will create problems for the doctors and the patients.
The OPD doctors said that they cannot hear the heart sounds of the patients in heavy rush as patients from 12 districts apart from Balochistan are coming here to get treatment for their kids. He said instead of further strengthening existing emergencies new emergencies are being established which will accumulate and patients will suffer.
Previously the building had three story planning with provision of a lift but owing to shortage of funds it was reduced to two story building which is causing trouble as rush of patients has increased manifold, sources claimed. Fire also erupted on the second floor in the past which may also have weakened the roof which also needs to be reconstructed, sources further added.