Victoria hospital’s thalassemia centre in a shambles

BAHAWALPUR: Bahawal Victoria Hospital’s thalassemia centre is in an abysmal condition. The centre has a total of 20 beds while the number of patients visiting is in hundreds and three patients share one bed.

The cleanliness condition at the thalassemia centre is also in a very bad shape and the patients who come for the treatment of thalassemia, are also catching other diseases. The insufficient number of beds and IV stands has forced the patients to get the treatment while standing where one of the attendants hold the bottle up for more than an hour.

Bahawal Victoria Hospital Medical Superintendent Azizur Rehman said the number of patients visiting the thalassemia centre was very large but due to the shortage of beds problems were being faced. He added that patients only come for three hours or so for blood transfusion and efforts were made to provide facilities to all the patients including those coming from remote areas. He further said bone marrow transplant centre would be completed soon.

Syed Imran Rizvi who lives adjacent to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, told The Express Tribune that the thalassemia centre was plagued with several issues. “It lacks even the basic facilities for the patient and whatever facilities are available, they insufficient as compared to the number of patients. The government should look into the situation and increase the number of beds and ensure the availability of other facilities,” he said.

Baqaul Mohsin, who came to see a relative getting treatment from the centre, said he was shocked to see people holding blood bottles instead of putting them on the IV stands because were no stands available.

He said the cleanliness situation was also bad and the administration did not bother to care for the situation.

The building of the bone marrow transplant has been completed but it could not be made functional so far due to the unavailability of funds. Neither any equipment has been installed nor any staff deployed so far.

Former member of the Federation Pakistan Chamber of Commerce Zafar Sharif told The Express Tribune that bone marrow transplant centre was very important for Bahawalpur district and it should be made functional as soon as possible. He demanded of the government to release funds so that health benefits could be provided to the people.