Doctors at Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), have to face difficulties due to non-availability of doctors cafeteria within the premises in the citys largest hospital. CHK doctors talking to APP here Saturday said absence of an essential facility, particularly for young doctors who without any gender based distinction, have to work even in odd hours, is a cause of serious inconvenience.
"Ours is perhaps the only tertiary care hospital where no cafeteria for doctors exist," said Dr Shahid Ajmal. The doctors mentioned that they are often required to work for long hours, including unexpected extension in the duration of work in case of any urgency faced by their reliever or emergency announced by the hospital administration.
Their working hours often do not allow them to carry along home-made meal and therefore have to depend on readily available food from road side push carts or shops, believed to be prepared under poor hygienic conditions. "Large majority of my colleagues do not even have a proper room to sit or lockers to place personal belongings what to talk of refrigerator," said Dr Shaista Ali.
The young lady doctor to a query said that it was somewhat convenient for men colleagues to move out of the hospital premises and have roadside meal. Junior doctors complained that they with their meagre salary, usually the stipend, find it extremely difficult to meet their daily need with expenses on food being an additional burden. They said that doctors cafeteria across the globe offer quality food, under hygienic conditions, to doctors associated with the concerned hospital on highly subsidised rates.