Dearth of doctor, nurses affects LGH’s working

MN Report

KARACHI - Lyari General Hospital (LGH) has been facing acute shortage of doctors and nurses, creating hindrances in providing better health care facilities to patients.

According to well-informed sources, at least 30 posts of doctors of both the general and specialist cadres, as well as, 70 posts of staff nurses have been lying vacant in the hospital.

They said the outdoor patient departments (OPDs) of the 500-bed Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital are visited by around 2,500 to 3,000 people daily for consultation and treatment.

Acute shortage of doctors and nurses has created administrative problems and it could be gauged from the fact that only 50 nurses are available in hospital for working in three different shifts.

Admitting that the hospital’s administration has been facing problems in managing the affairs of the hospital in an efficient manner and in providing better health care facilities to patients, an official of the LGH, on the condition of anonymity, said that though the Sindh health department had, around two years back, ordered posting of doctors in the hospital, majority of them did not join duties because of Lyari’s poor law and order situation.

The official hoped that higher-ups of the provincial health department with a view to improving health delivery system in the hospital will take immediate measures to fill the vacant posts of both doctors and nurses.

When the provincial health secretary, Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, was apprised about the shortage of doctors and nurses at the LGH, he said that about 1,000 posts of doctor have been lying vacant across Sindh.

He was, however, optimistic that the process of hiring the services of doctors through Sindh Public Service Commission would begin shortly.

Regarding Lyari’s law and order situation, which was one of major reasons behind doctors’ reluctance in joining their duties at the LGH, he said that the situation has now much improved there.