Not everyone can afford to have themselves treated in private clinics, but upon going to public hospitals in the capital city they learn the machinery available in the hospitals is out of order. A survey of two of the major government-run hospitals, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic, conducted by Pakistan Today, revealed that almost every second patient complained about hospital management. It was also observed that most of the ultra sound, x-rays, CT scan and mammography machines were out of order.
A patient pregnant by eight months, Azhra, 35, resident of Bhara Kau, sitting disappointedly on a wooden bench in the PIMS Gynecology Ddepartment, said, “I have been sitting here on this hard bench in a long queue for hours waiting for my turn to see the doctor. I am having a backache but I have to wait for the doctor for hours because I don’t have much money to consult this doctor privately.” She said that the doctor kept them waiting while he continued taking to his friends.
A 60-year-old man, Muhammad Gulfaraz Khan, wondering in the corridors of Polyclinic and waiting for his doctor with a slip in his hand, said, “Look at my age and my miseries; I can not even search for the doctor’s room.” Gulfaraz was having some heart problem and was looking for a heart surgeon. He said, “One doctor refers me to the other and the other doctor to another. When I identify the doctor concerned, I find out that the doctor is not on his seat.”
A PIMS Radiology Department official said on condition of anonymity that they had brought the conditions to the notice of senior officials but no action had been taken so far. He said that doctors did not care about the patient’s financial condition and prescribed them the test and ultrasound from private labs.
About a month ago, Federal Health Secretary Nargis Sethi admitted in the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Health that the behavior of doctors and administration at PIMS and Polyclinic was ‘pathetic’.
She said, “PIMS is serving as ‘slaughter house’ for the patients and doctors work only for two to three hours a day and spend taking tea or making gossip all day.”
On the directives of Health Secretary Dr Shaukat Hameed Kiyani, Polyclinic executive director eliminated the tea break in the hospital but this action did not prove fruitful. Owing to the negligence on the part of the Ministry Of Health, the committee took notice of the out-of-order x-rays machine in Polyclinic and asked the ministry to conduct an inquiry into this issue, but nothing came of it.
