During the last one month Lahore Two major official Hospitals During the operation LightningY Two outages have occurred.
Due to the complaints of non-availability of basic facilities, caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi also visits the hospitals every day.
During each of his visits, the Chief Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the facilities available in the hospitals.
Patients And according to their families, patients and their families are worried due to shortage of free medicines, power cuts in theatres, shortage of beds and lack of funds.
Patients say that they are given “several weeks before the operation and when they get in, a bed is available and not drugs, which have to be bought from outside at expensive prices.”
According to the president of Young Doctors Association, the facilities in the hospitals are very less in terms of the population, so the government will improve the system only then they will be able to provide full medical assistance to the patients. Even free medicines are not available, beds and theaters are also negligible compared to the number of patients.
According to Provincial Health Minister Dr. Javed Akram, ‘The hospital system is as bad as it is, improvement is possible in a few months and with the existing funds, but full recovery is difficult.
“The government is definitely providing immediate assistance according to its powers, but the health system is not functioning fully because of the neglect of the previous governments. However, despite the limited resources, the Chief Minister and the Ministry of Health are trying their best to improve the situation.
Basic problems of hospitals
Major government buildings of Lahore; Speaking to Independent Urdu, Irshad Bibi’s son Khawar Hussain, who is undergoing treatment at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), said, “My mother was suffering from a heart problem, she was brought here.” He was given emergency medical care, after which his condition improved, tests were done, in which angioplasty was recommended.
‘It’s been two days and still his angioplasty has not been done. When we talk to the doctors, they say that the patients have been given angio time for two weeks, the list is long, when the turn comes, it will be done.
He said that ‘many medicines that were available from the hospital are being ordered from outside because they have run out. Again and again the staff asks if the patient’s health is fine, then go home, there is a shortage of beds, another patient has to be laid down.
According to experts, PIC has better facilities than other hospitals like Mayo, Ganga Ram, General, Jinnah and Children’s Hospital.
Mudassar Ashrafi, president of Young Doctors Association Punjab, while talking to Independent Urdu, said that ‘by the way, facilities are insufficient in all the government hospitals of Punjab, but the most pressure is on the government hospitals of Lahore.
‘No big hospital has been built here since Jinnah Hospital in 1991. In those that are already there, the rush of patients coming from nearby cities including Lahore is many times more than the facilities.
First of all, let’s talk about the operation theaters, there are two operation theaters in emergency, but patients come in hundreds of emergency rooms in every hospital. Out of which 50 to 60 operations are necessary, but when the theater is reduced, they stay for many hours. The relatives of the patients whose conditions are serious get angry and fight with the doctors.
On the other hand, five to six thousand patients come to the hospitals, there are hundreds of beds, so they have to be treated by laying three or three patients on each bed or sitting on the floor.
According to Dr Mudassar, the third problem is the supply of free medicines. Hospitals are facing shortage of up to 60% of medicines these days which have to be procured from outside for the patients. We have also requested the government to make the medicine record online. The biggest problem for the last four months is power outage in theatres. Patients’ lives are at risk due to power off and no backup during operation.’
“If we make a video and make it public, it is objected that the hospital is being defamed, but when the Chief Minister of Punjab visited himself, we showed him all the problems, and he also admitted that the facilities in the hospital are not available. It’s not the doctors who are responsible, but the governments who underfund and neglect the health sector.’
He questioned that it is the duty of doctors to treat patients, but how can we provide treatment facilities to all patients due to the lack of basic facilities?
Government actions
Provincial Health Minister Dr. Javed Akram while talking to Independent Urdu said that since the caretaker government came, our first priority is to provide treatment facilities to patients in government hospitals, but the conditions are so bad that they cannot be fully controlled immediately. . Sadly, no government has paid attention to the health sector and the number of hospitals has become less than the number of patients.
Now the situation is that the theaters are not complete, the facilities are not complete where there are. But we are trying to improve the system despite the limited resources.’
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According to Dr. Javed Akram, if there is no electricity in the hospitals, there are UPS and generators, if there is a malfunction in them, the electricity is cut off in the theater. The main reason for this is that the hospitals have not been upgraded for a long time due to which a lot of machinery and equipment have completed their period, are being repaired and are running.’
He further said that the Chief Minister has taken steps to provide basic facilities of urgent need during the visits. From which some improvements are being made. Apart from this, efforts are being made to ensure the supply of free medicines to the patients.
No negligence is being tolerated on this issue either. In the last two months, action has also been taken against the in-charges of MS and departments of many hospitals. We are taking action without discrimination where the carelessness of the administration is being pointed out.
According to the provincial minister, the number of existing government hospitals is very less for the population of millions of people, so there is an urgent need to build big hospitals. The caretaker government does not have the authority to do this work, so this will be suggested to the next elected government.
‘First of all, focus on the health sector so that people can get treatment. Many government hospital buildings are also dilapidated like Ganga Ram, Mayo Hospital are very old hospitals, there are many parts which need to be demolished and new constructions are done. Modern equipped operation theaters are required in every hospital.’
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#Punjab #improve #public #hospitals
**Interview with Dr. Mudassar Ashrafi, President of Young Doctors Association Punjab**
**Interviewer**: Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Ashrafi. We recently learned that several major hospitals in Lahore, including Sheikh Zayed Hospital, are on the brink of closure. Can you shed light on the critical issues these hospitals are facing?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: Thank you for having me. The situation in Lahore’s hospitals is dire. We are experiencing an acute shortage of essential medical supplies, and the healthcare facilities available are simply not enough to meet the demands of the growing population. There are far more patients than the hospitals can handle, leading to overcrowding and inadequate care.
**Interviewer**: You mentioned overcrowding. How is this affecting patient care and operations within the hospitals?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: Overcrowding is a significant issue. In emergency rooms, we often see hundreds of patients needing immediate attention, while the number of operation theaters is woefully inadequate. For instance, on busy days, families have to wait for their loved ones to receive essential surgeries, which is frustrating and distressing for everyone involved. The lack of beds forces us to lay multiple patients on one bed or even have them sit on the floor.
**Interviewer**: It sounds really tough for both the healthcare workers and the patients. What about the issue of medical supplies, particularly the availability of free medicines?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: Unfortunately, the hospitals are currently facing a shortage of up to 60% of the necessary medications. This has compelled many patients to purchase their medications from outside pharmacies at exorbitant prices. The government’s commitment to providing free medicines is not being fulfilled, further burdening patients and their families.
**Interviewer**: You mentioned the government’s role. How has the government responded to these challenges?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: The caretaker government, led by Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, has acknowledged these issues, but solutions are slow to materialize. There has been talk of improvements, but the historical neglect of the healthcare sector means we need substantial investments and reforms to make a real difference. The health infrastructure has not been upgraded in years, and many medical facilities are outdated.
**Interviewer**: With power outages also contributing to the problems, how is that impacting patient safety during operations?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: Power outages are a significant concern that directly jeopardizes patient safety. During surgeries, the absence of reliable backup power can lead to life-threatening situations. Hospitals do have UPS and generators, but when these systems fail or are inadequate, we run a real risk during critical medical procedures.
**Interviewer**: What can be done to alleviate these issues in the short term?
**Dr. Ashrafi**: The immediate focus should be on addressing the supply chain for medications and enhancing the facilities we currently have. We need investment in infrastructure, proper training for staff, and effective management of resources. Moreover, the government must prioritize the healthcare sector to ensure it receives the necessary funding and support.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Dr. Ashrafi, for your insights. It’s crucial that we raise awareness about the plight of our hospitals and the essential role they play in our community’s health.
**Dr. Ashrafi**: Thank you for having me. Raising awareness is vital, and I hope this interview helps shed light on the urgent need for reform in our healthcare system.