ISLAMABAD:
The Liver Transplant Centre (LTC) that has been set up at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) at the cost of Rs14 billion is a big let down.
The huge amount from national exchequer spent on the centre does not reflect in facilities and quality of treatment being provided to patients.
The centre was established in June last year at the behest of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani who wanted to provide a liver transplant facility in the capital so those patients needing this costly procedure would not need to go abroad. Initially an amount of Rs120 million were given to the hospital administration for constructing a separate building of the LTC.
Housed in an old operation theatre and the adjacent doctors’ cafeteria and change room the centre presents the look of a basic health unit (BHU) instead of the state-of-the-art facility it was supposed to be for the most advanced and sophisticated transplant surgery.
A senior doctor who wished not to be named said the LTC was built in violation of the guidelines set by the World Health Organization.
When it rains the roof of the centre leaks and rainwater gathers inside. The floor tiles having gaps between them have been used in the three-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as well as the OT in the centre.
“Such tiles should be avoided because germs easily penetrate the gaps”, the doctor said.
It is difficult to maintain hygiene putting at risk the patient kept in the ICU. The length, width, space and the height of the centre’s roof and the OT’s design are also faulty, the doctor added.
Besides this, two OTs were supposed to be established at the centre but only one has so far been set up which too does not meet the international standard. No liver transplant has been done at the centre since August 2011.
A memorandum of understanding was also signed between Pims and Royal Free Hospital, London and a delegation from the UK hospital came to Islamabad to give liver transplantation-related training to the doctors and the paramedics.
They were also supposed to carry out first liver transplant at the centre but when they saw its condition they refused to do such operation.
According to another senior doctor who also wished not to be named, the top management wanted their people to be recruited at the LTC but their proposal was turned down.
All the inductions were made on merit contrary to the wishes and pressure of the administration. To punish the employees the administration has not paid to the employees for the last five months, forcing half of the doctors and other employees to quit their jobs.
The remaining staff is also being threatened by the administration when they demand their salary. The employees face uncertainty as their job contracts will expire in May 2012 and there is a fear among them that the administration would not renew their contracts to get rid of them and to bring in their own people, the doctor said.
He accused the top administration of the hospital and an MNA from an allied party of the government of being involved in corruption.
Despite many attempts to get views of Pims Executive Director Mehmood Jamal and Prof Nadeem Ahmed who is coordinator of LTC, they could not be approached.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2012.
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