‘Minor’ casualties: Dearth of facilities inperilling infant lives in Sargodha

Despite proposals on improving health care facilities, little has changed on the ground

LAHORE: Doctors continued to struggle against the dearth of medical facilities at the Division Headquarters Hospital Sargodha, jeopardising the lives of scores of newborns.

There has been no improvement in the hospital’s affairs even after notice was taken by senior officials such as the Punjab chief minister.

Shahbaz Sharif had taken notice of the frequent deaths of newborns at the DHQ hospital Sargodha on November 17. Subsequently, high level committees were formed by provincial health department to give recommendations for improving medical facilities at the hospital. Whereas, the medical superintendent (MS) of the hospital was also suspended on November 22 and departmental inquiry was initiated for showing negligence and inefficiency.

Unfortunately, the lack of basic medical facilities at DHQ hospital’s nursery — such as incubators, warmers, phototherapy units and ventilators — continues to claim the lives of newborns.

The doctors there revealed that child specialists from Lahore were making frequent visits to DHQ to monitor the situation of the nursery.

According to unconfirmed figures from DHQ hospital Sargodha, around 6,030 newborns were brought to its nursery in 2014 of which some 1,082 newborns have died. Whereas, in 2013 around 5,0711 newborns were brought to the nursery of which some 1,053 died, while in 2012 some 1,021 infants died of the 4,758 brought to the nursery. Doctors maintained that in terms of percentage, the figures this year are encouraging as compared to previous years.

The newly appointed MS Dr Pervaiz Haider apprised that five new incubators and four warmers have been bought and will be operational in a day or two. Government has managed to overcome all the shortcomings in the least possible time, he added.

The provincial government, on the other hand, has sanctioned Rs842 million for establishing a 25-bed nursery in every DHQ hospital of the province. Health Secretary Jawad Raffique Malik revealed that they will adhere to recommendations given by the special committees formed after the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2014.