Liaquatabad hospital reduced to a ‘dispensary’

Patients down to a trickle as staff absent, equipment dysfunctional

KARACHI:

The Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad is a picture of willful neglect, seemingly abandoned by the health department. Not too long ago, the only public hospital in one of the most densely populated areas of the city had a busy emergency department where patients with heart, kidney, skin and other diseases as well as accidents were provided timely treatment.

Now, the 200-bed hospital is more akin to a dispensary, with medicines not available, and machines and equipment out of order. Most doctors and staff members are unavailable in the the afternoon and night shifts.

The hospital saw a footfall of at least 100 patients daily. Now, that is down to a trickle. The facility would conduct around 400 to 500 tests daily, including a variety of blood tests as well as for cholesterol, calcium, creatinine and uric acid among others. At present, only CBC, urea and a few biochemistry tests are being done in the hospital at present.

Several machines in the hospital have also malfunctioned, with doctors referring patients to private laboratories. The machinery for CT scan, lithotripsy, doppler, echocardiography and CTG were out of order.

Those who work at the hospital say that an average of 60 to 70 patients would be admitted to the hospital at any given time. "Nowadays, patients have stopped visiting this hospital and around 10 patients are currently admitted here," said one staff member on condition of anonymity.

In the past, more than 100 x-rays were conducted on a daily basis, but that now number has reduced by half.

The patients admitted in the various wards allege that many doctors and medical staff do not come to perform their duties during the afternoon and night hours. Attendants pointed out that the administration was not interested in the decrepit state of the hospital. Onne visitor to the hospital said that the hospital did not have the rabies vaccine in spite of a Supreme Court order requiring government hospitals to maintain stocks of the drug.

Expectant mothers should visit the hospital at their own peril, with patients complaining of counterfeit medicines. One patient said they were not informed at the time of registration that the hospital did not offer c-section. "They tell you at the time of delivery to take the patient to a private hospital," said one angry visitor.

The hospital's medical superintendent, Dr. Tirth Kumar, cut a forlorn figure as he admitted to The Express Tribune that doctors and medical staff at the hospital were not reporting for duty. He said the hospital did not have enough funds to run the laboratory. " I am trying my best to improve the management by using all the resources available to me."

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2023.