KU hit hard by serious financial crisis

Panel hospitals stop offering healthcare facilities to employees

KARACHI:

As the financial crisis at Karachi University continues to deepen, some hospitals on its panel have stopped offering healthcare facilities to the employees due to non-payment of dues.

The Sindh-chapter President of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has requested Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Iraqi to intervene and resolve the payment issue to facilitate the varsity employees who are facing immense problems in getting treatment for their ailments.

Multiple employees, The Express Tribune has spoken to, claimed that several hospitals on KU's panel have stopped offering treatment to them due to outstanding dues against the institution. The situation is particularly bad for those who suffer from serious diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular problems, and have to visit hospitals on a weekly basis for medical check-ups.

Sources said that two KU employees were scheduled to have surgical procedures at Liaquat National Hospital on Saturday, but the operations were suspended for the same reason. One employee's family had to sell their jewellery to foot the medical bill worth around Rs.500,000. While speaking to The Express Tribune, FAPUASA Sindh President Dr. Shah Ali Qadir said that the provincial and the federal governments provided insufficient funds to the universities which resulted in the deepening of financial problems at the institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2022.