One nurse for 62 patients: Nurses go missing at Holy Family

Punjab government had approved hiring of nursing staff last year but no progress has been made so far.

RAWALPINDI: For every 62 patients that visit Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in Rawalpindi, there is one nurse. One of the most prominent public sector hospital in the city which caters to patients from all over the district and far-flung areas is facing acute shortage of nursing staff.

The 850-bed hospital has around 212 nurses working for it. Out of these, 22 nurses are deployed in the emergency wards which include main emergency, gynaecology and paediatrics. Divided into three shifts, the staff is responsible for looking after more than 850 to 900 patients that visit the ward daily.

In 2009, the total number patients who were treated in the emergency ward of the hospital were 278,414. This number rose to 334,125 in 2010. However the number of nurses remained the same.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior nurse working at the hospital said that positions for around 400 nurses were lying vacant in the hospital. “Last year the proposal for the recruitment of nurses was approved but to date nothing has been done in this regard,” she said.

According to her, the number of patients visiting the hospital was increasing by the day and with the increasing workload it had become extremely difficult fornurses to perform their duties properly and give the patients due attention.’

“Out of 212 nurses, the number further decreases after some take maternity leaves while others cannot make it to work due to several reasons,” she added.

The situation gets worse in cases of calamities. Bomb blasts, floods or other such situations see the influx of patients, but with the existing staff it is difficult to deal with them in an efficient manner.

Besides this, due to the shortage of administrative and paramedic staff, the nurses also have to perform extra duties as well. “We not only have to look after the patients but also have to substitute for sweepers, dispensers and clerks,” a group of nurses on the condition of anonymity said.

Due to the shortage of staff, they are also asked to work for extra hours, but do not get any overtime for that.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Raja Shafiq, spokesperson of HFH agreed that acute shortage of nurses and other paramedic staff in the hospital exists.

“Last year, we sent a proposal to the Punjab Government highlighting the need for the recruitment of nurses and other administrative staff, which was approved by them but after that no progress was seen in this regard,” he maintained.

He said in HFH there are many vacant posts for the nurses and for other paramedic staff waiting to be filled.

“Last year we were told by the high-ups of the Punjab government that they had interviewed nurses to fill the vacant posts here but we don’t know where those nurses have gone, as to date none of the post has been filled,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2011.