This is to highlight the significant shortage of medical personnel and the consequent overwork experienced by healthcare workers in both tertiary and secondary hospitals in Karachi.
As the largest city in Pakistan, Karachi has a high population density and increasing healthcare needs, yet its public hospitals are severely lacking in human resources. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff are overwhelmed, leading to burnout, compromised patient care and a concerning decline in the overall quality of health services.
Many tertiary care facilities, which are meant to handle complex and referral cases, are overwhelmed with patients that could be treated at secondary or primary care facilities. However, due to insufficient staffing and infrastructure at those levels, patients are bypassing them and going directly to tertiary centres, further increasing the burden. Moreover, resident doctors and nurses are often forced to work long hours with little support, which is both unethical and unsustainable.
Immediate action is required to: increase the recruitment of qualified doctors, nurses and allied health professionals; ensure fair distribution of staff across all levels of healthcare; implement effective shift systems to alleviate burnout; provide incentives for staff working in high-pressure, high-volume areas; and strengthen primary healthcare to lessen the unnecessary burden on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
If these issues are not addressed promptly, the healthcare system in the city may face further decline, jeopardising the lives of patients and the wellbeing of healthcare professionals.
Shanti Lajpat
Karachi
