The medicine supply to major hospitals of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) will resume next week after a four-year gap, sources at health and medical services at KMC said on Monday.
The sources said medicine supply to the KMC hospitals was suspended over four years ago due to severe financial crisis. Due to the unavailability of drugs and other diagnostic facilities, the number of OPD patients and admissions had dropped significantly in these healthcare centres. The supply of food to admitted patients had also been stopped owing to financial issues while several development projects could not be completed despite the passage of several years.
They said due to non-supply of drugs and financial crisis, the poor and needy patients were forced to visit other hospitals of Sindh. The sources said that the Sindh government had issued special funds to KMC about two months ago to purchase medicines for the hospitals.
They said the supply of medicines to 12 major hospitals of KMC, including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Sarfaraz Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital, Leprosy Hospital Manghopir and Spencer Eye Hospital will be resume next week.
KMC Health and Medical Services Senior Director Dr Muhammad Ali Abbasi confirmed that drug supply to 12 major hospitals of KMC will begin next week after a four-year delay. He informed that 70 per cent drugs have been purchased and stocked in KMC stores while 30 per cent will be supplied soon.
He further informed that current stock of medicine is enough for two months while another request has also been sent to high ups of KMC for buying more medicines for smooth running of public sector hospitals. He said patient care will be improved in KMC hospitals after resumption of drugs supply.