KARACHI: Expressing serious concerns over lack of medical facilities to the poor people in Karachi, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday demanded of the government to open more tertiary care hospitals in the megacity on war footings basis.
He said for decades the citizens of Karachi depend on just three major government sectors tertiary care hospitals: JPMC, Civil Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. He said there is no big government sector tertiary care hospital in Orangi, Malir, Landhi, Korangi, Bin Qasim, New Karachi and Gadap.
He said a government hospital made with foreign loan near Safoora Goth to cater road accident patients of Superhighway has been given to the private sector, while Dow Ojha hospital is almost as costly as many private hospitals despite the Sindh government.
running it.
He said the government is not opening new specialised care hospitals in Karachi or upgrading small hospitals which are an injustice to the citizens. He said costly fees of private doctors are out of reach of the millions of poor families of the megacity. He said citizens living in sprawling suburban areas of Karachi have virtually no medical facilities in the government sector.
Altaf Shakoor said that the idea of free standing emergency medical centres should be introduced in Karachi to reduce heavy burden on the three major government hospitals of Karachi. He said the private hospitals that have gotten land and facilities from the government in the pretext of being ‘welfare’ hospitals should be subjected to forensic audit for their mega fraud to both citizens and government as instead of welfare of patients they are looting them with both hands.
He said prime land meant for public transport facilities occupied by a private hospital should also be retrieved.
Altaf Shakoor asked the government to open new tertiary care hospitals in the neglected areas of Karachi on urgent basis besides establishing free standing emergency rooms in all areas of the megacity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024