KARACHI: Sindh’s largest tertiary-care hospital, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), has been facing an acute shortage of skilled doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians to counter the coronavirus emergency in Sindh.
An administrative official at CHK told PPI that there are 3,000 sanctioned posts in the 1600-bed CHK, out of which 800 are lying vacant, adding that the shortage has badly affected the functioning of this crucial healthcare facility.
The official, requesting not to be named, revealed that 90 posts of doctors, 100 posts of staff nurses, 150 posts of paramedical staff, five posts of grade-15 support staff, 100 posts of sweepers and a few administrative seats have been lying vacant in this teaching hospital for the last several years.
Similarly, about 300 posts of non-technical and support staff from grade-1 to grade-14 have also been lying vacant for several years in various sections including hospitality services, kitchen, transport, general store, laundry, workshop, electrical, mechanical departments, ward boy section, carpentry department, security, ministerial staff, ancillary staff, telephone exchange, etc.
It is pertinent to mention here that the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital is increasing day by day and the health facility may soon be incapable of taking care of too many COVID patients. Therefore, the hospital urgently needs skilled health workers who can cater to the patients in an emergency.
Sindh Paramedical Staff Welfare Organisation (PSWO) Chairman Mirza Javed Baig, while talking to PPI, said the Sindh health department authorities have not been paying heed towards the shortage of staff in public sector hospitals where insufficient number of doctors, nurses and support staff are performing their duties under extreme pressure.
He demanded the Sindh government recruit medical staff on a permanent or ad-hoc basis to deal with the situation in Sindh.
He lamented that a summary to regularise staff from grade-1 to grade-16, recruited a year and a half ago, had still not been approved by the Sindh health department.
CHK Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Khadim Qureshi was not available for comment.
