The largest hospital in North Sindh, Chandka Medical College Benazir Bhutto University only has one machine for gallbladder laser surgery, which breaks down several times a year for several days or weeks. Many patients from Larkana, Qambar, Shahdad Kot, Radhan, far-off Balochistan and other regions are sent back after being told that the machine is broken, which is rarely reported in the Larkana media.
Almost all of the machines, including those for CT scans, often break down in a similar way, forcing patients to visit expensive private medical centres instead. Complaints about this issue have been made several times to the provincial health minister and the health secretary, but they have taken no notice. Some people claim that the hospital experiences corruption at an administrative level which results in such grave negligence.
Patients are forced to question why, despite being admitted, they fail to receive timely medications and why they are often given substandard medicines instead. Why are a lot of doctors and staff routinely absent from duty? Why are there no female doctors in the emergency ward? Why are there no surgical cotton bandages available in the surgical ward? And most importantly, what do the ruling party of Sindh, the health minister in particular, have to say about this?
There is a dire need to provide the hospital with proper, functional equipment including laser machines, CT scan machines, and equipment necessary for kidney stone surgeries. Authorities must remember their responsibilities and take note of these frequent breakdowns, the shortage of medicines, administration of low-quality medicines, and the absence of medical professionals. The funds and expenses of Chandka Medical Hospital must be audited, providing the public transparent disclosure to where their tax money is being spent.
Zulfiqar Ali
Larkana
