Healthcare system’s vacant posts yet to be filled

When Ghulam Chandio, a resident of Dadu, felt an excruciating pain on his side, later identified to be stemming from the formation of kidney stones, he rushed to the district hospital, only to be informed that a nephrologist was not available.

Thus, Chandio had to make a five hour journey from Dadu to Karachi, and sought treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). However, contrary to what Chandio believed, even treatment in the city was not as straightforward, as the sheer influx of patients meant that he had to wait a couple of days before he could get a slot for a stone removal surgery.

“Unlike Dadu, senior doctors are available in Karachi but a mammoth number of patients require their attention, so naturally there is a long wait time,” said the optimistic Chandio.

However, Aslam Kalhoro, a heart disease patient, who hails from Sukkur, does not share Chandio’s optimism. “The dearth of doctors in Sukkur means that I have to travel to Karachi multiple times a month,” said an irate Kalhoro. His disdain for the provincial healthcare system is not misplaced as the drive from Sukkur to Karachi takes nearly eight hours. “I have to put up with the long travel time because there are no doctors in Sukkur to conduct a heart bypass surgery,” regretted Kalhoro, who had just gotten done with his pre-surgery routine check-up at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

Both Chandio and Kalhoro’s plight of having to travel long distances to seek treatment in Sindh’s capital is the reality for many, as records obtained from the provincial health department show that a total of 2,600 posts for doctors have been lying vacant for the past 3 years. However, this number is just the tip of the iceberg.

The records reveal that a total of 32,000 different posts, including those of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and support staff, have been vacant since 2020.

However, the vacancies are not limited to rural Sindh only. According to the Jinnah Hospital’s Spokesperson, the medical institute has a total of 800 vacancies for professors, doctors, and other staff. Similarly, according to the Civil Hospital Karachi’s administration, 705 posts have been waiting to be filled for the past couple of years. The same is the case for Lyari Hospital, where there are 400 vacancies, for specialist doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

Health department sources privy to the vacancy numbers, informed The Express Tribune that the posts were not filled due to a recruitment ban, which was placed in 2020 by the provincial government. However, it is pertinent to mention that the ban was lifted in 2022, but the provincial health department is yet to wake up from its apparent slumber and start recruitment. In this regard, The Express Tribune contacted Sindh’s Health Minister, Dr Azra Pechuho, several times to inquire about the health department’s lack of interest in making healthcare accessible for all, especially those in rural parts of the province, but did not hear back from her.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2023.