MN Report
Karachi: Upto 240 posts are lying vacant in Sindh’s largest tertiary care children hospital, known as National Institute of Child Health (NICH) since last several years which is not only causing inconvenience for patients but also putting extra workload on existing staff, it was learned.
Reliable Sources at National Institute of Child Health told that NICH is a 500 bedded institution and one of the largest children hospitals of the province of Sindh. He said it provides tertiary care services for almost all types of pediatric diseases and is equipped with latest diagnostic facilities but unfortunately over 240 posts are lying vacant in hospital since last several years.
He said the hospital administration is facing multiple challenges after the devolution of institution into province. He informed that over 240 posts including doctors, paramedics, nursing staff and other technical vacancies are lying vacant in hospital as not new recruitment has been done in healthcare since last five years.
He said there are 815 sanctioned posts in institution out of which 575 are filled while over 240 are lying vacant. He said there are five sanctioned post of professors in hospital out of which only one is filled while four are lying vacant. He said only three associate professors are available in institution on total nine sanctioned posts. He said there are 16 sanctioned posts of assistant professors in institution out of which 10 are unfilled.
He said posts of chief nursing superintendent, deputy chief nursing superintendent, principal School of Nursing, consultant physiotherapist, assistant anesthetist, account officer, nursing instructor, hospital equipment engineer, principal technician, dialysis technicians , data entry operator, accountant, assistant accountant, security officer, chief technicians, assistant nursing superintendent, store keeper (general ), sanitary inspector, plumber, AC mechanic, lift operator, cook, sanitary workers, security guards and sewerage man are lying vacant since last several years.
He informed that dozens of employees are waiting for their promotions as no departmental promotion committee meeting was held in past five years in institution. He said good numbers of employees were retired from their jobs, some left job and well number of medical staff joined other national and international health institutions over promotion and other reasons.
He said patient care has been badly affected due to shortage of doctors, staff nurses and paramedical staff in institution as compared to past. He said uncertainty prevalent among doctors, nurses and paramedical staff due to promotion issues.
Deputy Director, NICH, Arshad Domki, said there is an acute shortage of doctors, skilled nurses and paramedical staff in hospital since last several years. He said administration is unable to fill vacant posts due to some legal issues.