Postponement of operations in government hospitals due to election duty of doctors and medical staff

Karachi: On the occasion of the general elections held in Karachi on February 8, after the duties of doctors and other staff of most of the government hospitals run under the Department of Health were assigned, the hospitals became empty of doctors and other staff, operations of a large number of patients were also postponed. have gone

According to hospital authorities, more than 100 patients are operated on in civil and Abbasi Shaheed hospitals every day. According to the emergency situation, the operations of the patients are done urgently. According to an estimate, more than 200 operations have been postponed, but the final data is being compiled.

Patients are now being given post-election dates for operations, patients are no longer being admitted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. On the other hand, the administration of the hospitals says that the health department falls under the category of essential services, yet the duties of the hospital staff are being assigned to the election.

Hospital staff duties have been imposed in different districts, on which government hospitals and Pakistan Medical Association have also expressed serious concerns.

On the other hand, the provincial health department has converted the accident departments of all government hospitals into emergency rescue centers from February 5 to February 9 to deal with any emergency situation across the province, including Karachi, on the occasion of the general elections on February 8.

All ambulances of 1122 Risko Services will be available to deal with emergency situations. Regarding the emergency plan of the health department, many MS have expressed serious reservations about making arrangements in the hospitals and they say that most of the doctors and staff have been assigned election duties in the hospitals, how can they make arrangements for the emergency now.

He said that considering the emergency situation, the Election Commission should cancel the duties of doctors and staff. Due to imposition of election duties, patients are facing difficulties in hospitals. Most operations have been cancelled. Patients are given dates of operations after selection. The PMA has requested the Election Commission to take immediate notice of the matter and has said that the health department is included in the essential services, so it should be declared exempt from election duties.

About the health department’s reseco plan to deal with the emergency on the occasion of the general elections and related issues, the spokesman of the Sindh health department told The Express Tribune that in order to deal with the emergency situation in the general elections across Sindh including Karachi. The plan has been finalized.

According to the spokesman, a control room has been established in the DG Health office. Emergency will be in effect in government hospitals from February 5 to February 9. Accident departments in all government hospitals have been converted into emergency units where doctors and Medical staff will be present.

He said that 371 ambulances of Rescue Services 1122 will be available. Apart from this, medicines will also be available. He said that the Election Commission has appointed a large number of doctors and staff from the Health Department for election duties, due to which there may be difficulties in providing emergency rescue services in hospitals. The Health Department has informed the Election Commission about this. .

According to Director General Health Sindh, DG Health Sindh has established a control room in DG Secretariat Hyderabad in connection with general elections 2024. Deputy DGM&E Dr Sohrab Khan Hasbani and Assistant DGM&E Dr Zubairuddin Qureshi have been nominated as focal persons.

The staff consisting of three shifts will perform their duties in the control room round the clock, in case of any emergency the control room numbers 0229240106 and 0229240114 can be contacted. Directors of Health Services of all 6 Divisions, DHOs, Rescue 1122, Heads of Government and Charitable Hospitals will strictly follow the instructions.

The management of many government hospitals have reservations in the implementation of the emergency plan for the general elections of the health department. They have raised the question that there is a severe shortage of doctors and staff in hospitals due to election duties, so how to implement this plan. Would it be possible?

Medical Superintendent of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Dr. Naseem Ahmed said that now we cannot admit patients to the hospital before the election. More than 30 operations are performed in our hospital every day. The operation was postponed.

He said that due to non-availability of staff, operations could not be done now, they were considering transferring the admitted patients to other hospitals. The emergency is also affected while the ICU may also be closed.

Dr. Naseem Ahmed said that all the hospital staff have been assigned duties in the general elections. Now how will emergency situations be controlled on election day? Should the hospital be closed on that day? The hospital administration will no longer be responsible for any situation. .

He said that due to the duties of doctors and other staff including hospital slip clerk, vent technician, anesthesia technician, all the departments of Abbasi Hospital have become empty and we are facing severe difficulties to treat the patients coming to the hospital. That is why the operations have been postponed.

Patients are given a post-selection date for operation. He said that 100% of the staff of the hospital has been called for election duty, in this case we cannot provide medical assistance. In this regard, the director of KMC has also expressed serious concerns with the concerned authorities. The Election Commission should look into this matter.

Dr. Khalid Bukhari, Medical Superintendent of Dr. Ruth Fau Civil Hospital said that 70 doctors, 350 nurses and 80 paramedical staff have been taken from the hospital for election duty.

He said that the civil hospital is the biggest teaching hospital in the province where OPD of 5,000 to 6,000 patients is daily while more than 50 operations are performed daily. How will we cover the emergency after that?

At present 300 doctors, 900 paramedics and 60 nurses posts are lying vacant in the civil hospital for the past several years. At present there are total 1500 vacancies in civil hospital.

Dr. Khalid Bukhari said that the administration of the civil hospital has informed the health department about this situation, despite this, the doctors and other staff will be assigned election duties. He said that we have more than 120 daily operations. Who are affected due to this situation. Their list is being compiled.

The director of the trauma center, Dr. Sabir Memon, said that the lists of our doctors have been requested for election duty, if these doctors leave, then all the operations can be postponed.

Medical Superintendent of Lyari Hospital, Dr. Jameel Mughal said that many areas are very sensitive during the election in South District and medical camps are being organized in different areas of Lyari a day before the polling, despite the instructions of the Director General of Health Sindh. But 60 doctors and other staff have been posted on election duty.

The spokesperson of Jinnah Hospital said that instructions were given to assign the duties of doctors and other staff from Jinnah Hospital to the election, but Jinnah Hospital is a big hospital in Karachi, the administration did not entrust the services of its doctors and other staff to the district administration. Since there is a 24-hour emergency in Jinnah Hospital, we have not sent our doctors and employees on election duties, but all medical facilities will be available in the accident department of the hospital on the occasion of the election.

Dr. Pir Ghulam Nabi Shah Jilani, MS of Sindh Government Hospital, Saudabad, said that the list of 10 doctors of the hospital has been sent to District Antamiya, but the hospital already has more than 100 vacancies of other staff including doctors. He said that the hospital will be on high alert on the occasion of the election while the accident department will work as an emergency rescue service. The hospital’s ambulance service is fully operational.

Former Secretary General of Pakistan Medical Association Professor Dr. Qaiser Sajjad said that if doctors and medical staff have elective duties, how will medical aid be given in hospitals in emergency. He said that the services of doctors and medical staff are included in the compulsory services. The Election Commission should take notice of this situation, this matter needs to be reviewed.

Caretaker Health Minister Dr. Khalid Saad Niaz said that due to the election duties, 60 percent of the staff are working. Due to the reduction of 40 percent of the staff, patients are affected and operations are being postponed.

The provincial minister said that the relevant authorities have been informed about the situation and said that the duties of the hospital staff should not be imposed, but currently no response has been received in this regard.