KARACHI: North Karachi Sindh Government Children Hospital (SGCH) would be made a ‘model health facility’ in terms of provision of pediatric medical facilities, and a comprehensive plan has been devised to upgrade all departments of the hospital.
The SGCH was renovated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2015 and its bed capacity was increased from 50 to 220. The hospital was handed over to the Poverty Eradication Initiative (PEI) by the Sindh government under its Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative at the end of 2016.
Poverty Eradication Initiative Health Director Dr Imam Yar Baig, while talking to PPI, said that a plan had been made to make SGCH a model health facility in terms of pediatric care as hundreds of people from all across Karachi, and other far-flung areas, were bringing their children to this health facility for better treatment.
He said that OPD, pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, pathology laboratory, and radiology and surgery departments would be further upgraded under a proper plan.
He also said that the number of visiting patients and admissions had significantly increased since last nine months. He added that surgeons were now hired to perform major and minor surgeries as this surgery facility was not available earlier.
He further informed that cleft lip and palate surgeries were also started for newborn children with these defects.
To a question about the shortage of drugs, Dr Baig explained that under an agreement, the administration was authorised to purchase medicines from the Sindh government approved companies, but these companies failed to provide all the required drugs on time which had caused problems for patients. But now the situation had improved a lot, he added.
He said that with the approval of Sindh government, the hospital would be made an institution after the coming budget. He added that the administration will try to get registration from Pakistan Medical Dental Council (PMDC) and Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons (PCPS).
He informed that a nursing school, hostel and a maternity home would be built after the release of the budget for next fiscal year, adding that the CME programme would also be introduced very soon for capacity building of nurses.
The director also said that the increments of lower staff and doctors had been raised by 30 and 25 per cent respectively. He added that up-gradation of pharmacy and store was also under way on modern lines.
He further stated that management and clinical committees were also formed to improve working relationships with the management and clinical staff. Dr Baig added that the environmental, security, senatorial, infection control and quality control standard operating procedure (SOPs) had already been introduced to provide quality care and infection-free atmosphere to every visiting patient in the health facility.