In private hands, a public hospital triumphs
Survival rate, patients’ intake increases after ChildLife Foundation’s takeover of Sindh’s only children’s...
ChildLife Foundation has been able to increase the survival rate at NICH’s paediatric emergency room from 20 per cent to 30 per cent after it adopted it in 2013. They have dedicated pharmacists and secluded incubators for infants who need extra attention. PHOTOS: AYSHA SALEEM/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Mehnaz seems satisfied and relieved as she looks at her nine-day-old son who is recovering speedily, despite three different doctors telling her the boy was in critical condition and chances of recovery were grim.
"My boy was very seriously ill and there was no hope of survival," said Mehnaz, who hails from Buharo, Thatta.
Medical training: Fellowship in emergency medicine launched
"All the children are looked after carefully by doctors and staff alike," said Naseem, another woman along with her day-old baby. "I don't pay for anything and think my child is safe here."
Naseem is referring to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), a public health facility that boasts the largest paediatric emergency room (ER) in the country.
When the ER was adopted by the ChildLife Foundation (CLF) in 2013, the flow of patients was around 300 per day with the survival rate at 20 to 30 per cent. The hospital also lacked trained staff and senior consultants.
After the takeover, however, the paediatric ER gives a completely different look. Mothers are guided to healthcare professionals in a decent manner and their newborns are treated well in a safe and clean environment.
Governance: ‘Private management of public hospitals unacceptable’
Before, parents had to purchase medicine from private stores, and most complained of lack of proper attention from doctors. Moreover, the practice of referring patients from the ER to private hospitals was also very common.
"Everything is in proper order [now]. Everyone is guided according to their needs," said the ER administrator, Syed Asad Agha. He said there is trained staff at the reception, which refers patients according to the nature of their ailment "to saves patients' time".
According to Agha, the flow of patients has almost doubled within five years, and stands at 600 a day on average. "The survival rate is more than 90 per cent," he claimed further.
The healthcare professional informed that 20 senior consultants and 42 nurses were added to the existing staff to strengthen the capacity of province's most crowded paediatric ER. The entire facility has been renovated, ensuring clean and safe environment for patients and their attendants, he stated.
Falling short: ‘Govt hospitals pay doctors five times less than private ones’
Talking about pharmacy, he said "Everything is free here, including medicine and vaccination." He added that Rs6 million is spent monthly on medicines, with a regular maintenance of surplus stock.
"Space is a major issue here. This is the second biggest facility [of its kind] but the largest one according to patients' inflow," Agha said. "Karachi needs at least 20 such emergency facilities for children."
Despite the limited space of the government hospital, the CLF administration has divided the premises into small portions for normal, critical and very critical child-patients. More than 50 newborn babies are reported to the NICH ER every day. They hail not only from Karachi but other areas of Sindh and Balochistan too.
Tabish Shahzad, communication adviser at CLF, said her organisation has established 13 paediatric clinics across the city. "This reduces the number of patients here [NICH's ER] and reduces extra burden on doctors and staff," she said.
CLF was established in 2010 after a documentary on the dilapidated condition of the children's ward at Civil Hospital, Karachi, was aired by CNN. A group of philanthropists then got together under CLF's umbrella with an aim to bring a positive change in the abysmal healthcare system of Pakistan. First, the CLF adopted Civil hospital's paediatric ER and the model was replicated in 2013 at the NICH after the hospital administration's request.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2015.
Mehnaz seems satisfied and relieved as she looks at her nine-day-old son who is recovering speedily, despite three different doctors telling her the boy was in critical condition and chances of recovery were grim.
"My boy was very seriously ill and there was no hope of survival," said Mehnaz, who hails from Buharo, Thatta.
Medical training: Fellowship in emergency medicine launched
"All the children are looked after carefully by doctors and staff alike," said Naseem, another woman along with her day-old baby. "I don't pay for anything and think my child is safe here."
Naseem is referring to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), a public health facility that boasts the largest paediatric emergency room (ER) in the country.
When the ER was adopted by the ChildLife Foundation (CLF) in 2013, the flow of patients was around 300 per day with the survival rate at 20 to 30 per cent. The hospital also lacked trained staff and senior consultants.
After the takeover, however, the paediatric ER gives a completely different look. Mothers are guided to healthcare professionals in a decent manner and their newborns are treated well in a safe and clean environment.
Governance: ‘Private management of public hospitals unacceptable’
Before, parents had to purchase medicine from private stores, and most complained of lack of proper attention from doctors. Moreover, the practice of referring patients from the ER to private hospitals was also very common.
"Everything is in proper order [now]. Everyone is guided according to their needs," said the ER administrator, Syed Asad Agha. He said there is trained staff at the reception, which refers patients according to the nature of their ailment "to saves patients' time".
According to Agha, the flow of patients has almost doubled within five years, and stands at 600 a day on average. "The survival rate is more than 90 per cent," he claimed further.
The healthcare professional informed that 20 senior consultants and 42 nurses were added to the existing staff to strengthen the capacity of province's most crowded paediatric ER. The entire facility has been renovated, ensuring clean and safe environment for patients and their attendants, he stated.
Falling short: ‘Govt hospitals pay doctors five times less than private ones’
Talking about pharmacy, he said "Everything is free here, including medicine and vaccination." He added that Rs6 million is spent monthly on medicines, with a regular maintenance of surplus stock.
"Space is a major issue here. This is the second biggest facility [of its kind] but the largest one according to patients' inflow," Agha said. "Karachi needs at least 20 such emergency facilities for children."
Despite the limited space of the government hospital, the CLF administration has divided the premises into small portions for normal, critical and very critical child-patients. More than 50 newborn babies are reported to the NICH ER every day. They hail not only from Karachi but other areas of Sindh and Balochistan too.
Tabish Shahzad, communication adviser at CLF, said her organisation has established 13 paediatric clinics across the city. "This reduces the number of patients here [NICH's ER] and reduces extra burden on doctors and staff," she said.
CLF was established in 2010 after a documentary on the dilapidated condition of the children's ward at Civil Hospital, Karachi, was aired by CNN. A group of philanthropists then got together under CLF's umbrella with an aim to bring a positive change in the abysmal healthcare system of Pakistan. First, the CLF adopted Civil hospital's paediatric ER and the model was replicated in 2013 at the NICH after the hospital administration's request.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2015.