KARACHI: The outpatient department (OPD) at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center (JPMC) is in dire need of additional human and financial resources coupled with stringent monitoring of the available facilities.Patients told journalists on Monday that absence of doctors, particularly senior professionals, poor availability of medicines and reported shortage of x-ray films at JPMC’s OPD has multiplied their difficulties.These patients belonging to interior parts of the province as well as from its capital were unanimous that JPMC, the biggest federal hospital needed an overhauling.“We need urgent medical assistance, however, we have to make several visits that often is beyond our means,” said Mohamamd Bashir, father of Aasia Bashir, a victim of blast at CID Centrer Karachi
in November.The girl with multiple fracture is made to visit hospital quite frequently and is prescribed medicines that are not available in the hospital’s pharmacy, complained the father of four with a meager salary of Rs 14,000 per month.
Shamoon, a resident of Akhter Colony, visiting the OPD complained that even junior doctors, often substituting for their senior colleagues, stop attending patients at the OPD after 12 noon.Inayatullah from Shikarpur alleged that he has been asked by doctors to get his grandson, suffering from a neurological disorder, admitted to the hospital, however, junior staff of the hospital are asking for graft.“Since I have denied their demand, therefore, I have been told that no bed is available in the concerned ward,” he said adding that he after spending considerable amount and time has decided to return home.JPMC’s Deputy Executive Director Dr Mohmmad Azhar Khan and Assistant Director (Administration) Chaudhri Akram approached by journalists confirmed that shortage of funds had added to the problems of the patients as well as the hospital administration.
“We had despatched PC-I for upgradation and improvement of our laboratory facilities in 2008, however, were advised to send a consolidated of PC-I for our different schemes,”he said in reply to a question.He said a consolidated PC-I of more than 12 projects worth Rs 3.3 billion was also forwarded to the ministry in 2009.“There has been a marked reduction in the budgetary allocation for drugs,” said Dr Azhar in reply to another question.According to him the previous allocation under the head of drug was Rs 235 million and has been presently reduced to Rs 180 million.Dr Azhar said no money is available for local purchase of drugs and therefore procurement of many of the medicines has become difficult for OPD patients. “There is, however, no shortage of drugs for our admitted patients,” he said.Dr Azhar assured that all due complaints of patients will be attempted to be addressed one these are brought into the notice of hospital administration – Dailytimes
