Kharadar residents ecstatic about new hospital block

Department is worth nearly Rs50 million, says the hospital’s chief executive officer.

KARACHI:

The residents of Kharadar will now have access to better maternity facilities, and that too at a lower price, after the new obstetrics and gynaecology block opened at Kharadar General Hospital.

The new block, which is worth nearly Rs50 million, will provide 30 more private and semi-private labour rooms, along with conference and faculty rooms. It will also have a high dependent unit, where critical patients will be operated in private labour rooms, said the hospital’s chief executive officer, Dr Khalid Iqbal. The groundbreaking ceremony of the new block was held on Friday evening.

“In Pakistan the middle class don’t to go to the general labour rooms and they want to get private labour rooms,” he pointed out. “As the private labour rooms in other hospitals are quite expensive, we thought that with the new block we can provide a place for the middle-class at economical rates.”

These private rooms will have space for other family members as well, so they can be with the mother during delivery, Dr Iqbal explained. He hoped the block will be completed within eight months.



Nearly 80 years old

According to Iqbal, the first building of hospital was inaugurated on May 14, 1934, by R.E. Gibson, the wife of Karachi’s mayor at the time. At that time, it was a 50-bed maternity home but over time it was extended to 210 beds and became a general hospital. Currently the hospital is operating over 5,000 deliveries every year. The hospital is also providing post-graduate teaching and is recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. The hospital has a school of nursing recognised by the Pakistan Nursing Council for general nursing and midwifery training.

Inauguration ceremony

Businessman and former member of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Tariq Saeed, in his speech, appreciated the efforts of the hospital management in running a non-profit facility in an area always under the siege of lawlessness.

“I think that starting a hospital is not as difficult a task as compared to running one smoothly and extending the services of an already established facility,” he said. “The achievements of Kharadar General Hospital certainly reflect the success of its management and staff.”



The hospital’s president, Bashir Jan Muhammad, said their hospital is catering to the needs of three million people in the neighbourhood and it charges less than other private hospitals. “We have never closed the hospital during its life although the areas around it are always under the grip of violence and strikes.” He appreciated the employees for their dedication.

The hospital is training 60 nurses every year and is also providing stipends to the nursing students of its school. The hospital treats 25 per cent of its patient through its Zakat funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2013.