Civil Hospital Karachi is in dire need of major repair besides a master plan to bring an end to persisting problems like shortage of water, sanitation and electricity outage etc.
The hospital is surviving on obsolete and incapacious infrastructure of power, water supply and sewerage. Such problems have become a routine multiplying suffering of poor patients, Medical Superintendent CHK Dr Kaleem Butt said while talking to reporters at his office here on Friday.
He said CHK was established as a 250-beded district level hospital in 1898, spread in the same premises over 100,000 sq feet of land. It was upgraded to teaching hospital in 1945 and at present, it has bed strength of 1728. The hospital has 3,277 employees including 125 consultants, 590 doctors, 820 house officers, 405 nursing staff.
However there is always a shortage of staff, as during last 11-12 years, no fresh appointment is made in the hospital due to ban, he said.
Average of daily admission is 100-120, OPD is 4000-5000, emergency patients are 800-1000, indoor patients (treated) are 1000-1100 and number of operation done daily is 80-100. Bed occupancy rate is 65 percent, turn over per bed is 23 patients and number of beds per doctor is 3, he mentioned.
Dr Butt said CHK was probably the biggest hospital of the country and resources were also needed according to increased number of patients. Provision of water, electricity and sewerage system are major problems in the hospital, as infrastructure is almost over 100 years old, which is never repaired nor improved resulting in poor hygienic conditions all around the hospital, he lamented.
At first stage, it has been decided to improve casualty department and additional 20 beds are being provided at the department, for which administration is in search of suitable place with the emergency department. Usually, in mass casualties, hospital is unable to admit a huge number of patients, however, after this addition, bed strength at the casualty department will rise to 55. Besides, old beds or their mattress will also be replaced, he said.
He said provision of all medicine and investigation would be ensured to each and every patient in wards, emergency and OPDs. "We have maintained a separate store, which has all required medicines for about 200 patients to meet any mass emergencies.
Problem of shortage of staff in night shift of casualty department is also being solved and three doctors have been deputed to emergency from various OPDs.
Secretary Health has also assured to provide few doctors particularly for night shift of casualty department, which will redress the complaints regarding non-availability of more doctors in the said shift," he added.
Regarding cleanliness in the hospital, he said there were 320 posts for sweepers. But half of the sweepers (150-160) were working at the hospital. Second reason is shortage of water in the hospital, as water is needed for keeping hospital a clean place.
Obsolete water supply and drainage lines often break and sewage water seems flooding the hospital, he mentioned.
To a query, he said there was no shortage of medicine in the hospital and a plenty of medicines and funds were available for poor and needy patients. However, existing system needs to be improved.
Federal government also provides the hospital with Rs 1 billion Zakat fund a year for needy patients. Now almost each and every test and investigation is being done at the hospital and quality will be further improved of lab investigations, he maintained.
MS said closed vascular ward would be reopened, as it was much needed. Dr Sohail is appointed for the purpose.
To another query regarding posting of private security guards, he said he was not satisfied with their performance and had asked their chief to improve the same. About 40 security guards have been deputed at CHK against expense of Rs 0.222 million monthly. This amount has been taken after surrendering 69 vacancies of the hospital, which was not a wise decision, as there is already shortage of staff, he opined.