Named after PM, hospital struggles without doctors

MS says senior consultants unwilling to join facility

LAHORE: Although it provides a range of modern facilities, Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yakki Gate is predominantly run by a group of postgraduate trainees and doctors. Most of the posts of senior surgeons, medical officers and consultants are lying vacant.

Situated half a kilometre away from Yadgar, the hospital’s building stands tall amid its rather modest surroundings. The hospital treats 25,000 patients at its OPD every day and provides medicines free of charge.



The facility offers diverse medical facilities, including urology, gynaecology, nephrology and neurology wards, and caters to the medical needs of people from far and wide. However, patients have quite a few reservations even though the medical facilities are believed to be at par with modern standards.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has established a good hospital near Data Darbar,” Asif Sayyal, a resident, told The Express Tribune. “But whenever I visit [the facility], no doctor [was] available to offer treatment.”

Sayyal added he was impressed by the hospital’s modern architecture and was quite pleased with the way patients were treated at the facility. However, he insisted the government should appoint trained consultants to overcome the problems faced by people.

A senior nurse, who has served the hospital for 16 years, told The Express Tribune the absence of consultants has been one of the major causes for deaths even though various facilities are available at the hospital. He requested anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media on the subject.



“Hundreds of lives have been lost [before our very own eyes],” he said. “These people could be saved if vacant posts had been filled.”

Vacant slots

Young Doctor Association (YDA) Pakistan General Secretary Dr Zamir Mir, told The Express Tribune there are different wards at the hospital which are fully equipped with state-of-the-art machinery.

According to Mir, there are four seats for surgeons at the facility. Of these, three posts are vacant while 19 seats for grade-18 consultants have yet to be filled. A seat for an ENT surgeon has also remained vacant for a long time, the general secretary added.

“There are 12 dialysis machines and six modern ventilators available [at the facility],” he said. “But no nephrologists and anesthesia consultant are present at the hospital. The modern burn unit is also dysfunctional as there is no plastic surgeon.”

He added, “This is a state-of-the-art hospital which is being run by a few house officers, postgraduate trainees and medical officers.”

The other view

Medical Superintendent Dr Asim Hameed says senior consultants are not willing to join the hospital. “We have [advertised posts] several times,” he said. “But no one is willing to join the hospital. [Under the] government’s policy, we appoint doctors and consultants on ad hoc basis and this is why they are not taking [an] interest in joining the hospital.”



Hameed said consultants are offered Rs70,000 as they are appointed on an ad hoc basis. They earn millions in the Middle East and other countries, he added, admitting it had become difficult to run the hospital with so many posts lying vacant.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2016.