Public care: Health facilities effective in Tharparkar, says Dahar

The health minister says doctors, surgeons and others are serving people day and night.

KARACHI: Three district hospitals, two rehabilitation centres and 103 dispensaries working under the supervision of health department are effectively functional in Tharparkar.

This was said by health minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar at a meeting held to discuss the situation in Tharparkar.

The minister further said that doctors, surgeons, gynaecologists, paramedical staff and child specialists were serving people day and night. During 2014, 340,694 patients were seen in the out-patient departments and 24,085 patients were treated at the hospitals.

According to Dahar, a sanctioned new expenditure has been submitted for setting up 74 health units in Tharparkar. In March last year, 16 female medical officers, 38 medical officers and three dental surgeons were appointed while in December, three more doctors were appointed. Interviews were being conducted to hire more doctors, he added.

Around 10 ambulances are effective in as many district hospitals at all times, said Dahar. Moreover, laboratories, dental services, emergency, intensive care unit, coronary care unit, X-ray and other services are available at all hospitals.

Dahar said that most children below the age of five die in Tharparkar due to their premature birth and other diseases.

“The Sindh government has doubled the budget for the purchase of medicines in 2014,” he said. “Similarly, funds were also increased for the purchase of ambulances and generators.” Six medical camps and six monitoring cells were also being set up. He added that generators were being installed at Civil Hospital, Mithi, and rehabilitation centres at Chachro, Diplo and Nagarparkar were also being installed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2015.