UMERKOT: Seven children died of malnutrition and different diseases in Civil Hospital Umerkot within 15 days, exposing the poor healthcare conditions of the largest hospital of the district, PPI learnt on Wednesday.
The hospital is short of senior doctors and gynaecologists, as 59 vacancies are not being filled despite the health sector, has been kept on top priories by the incumbent Sindh government.
The number of admitted children is rising constantly in the hospital as the Sindh health department and the provincial government could still not reduce the child death ratio in the district. It is reported that 300 job vacancies are lying vacant in health department Umerkot district, but the Sindh health department is reluctant to fill these vacancies despite a shortage of staff in the Civil Hospital Umderkot. The filling of these posts and providing of more required machines and instruments are necessary to protect the health of people, including children.
The hospital lacks expert doctors that is why rich people are receiving treatment from private hospitals while poor people have no option but to admit children in this hospital. There are two child wards in the hospital, which are short of beds as a result, two children are laid on one bed that could spread diseases from one child to other, but the number of beds is low while other healthcare facilities are not up to the mark. There are only 55 beds in the hospital and five ambulances, which are very low. It is pity that sometimes, no driver is found to run the ambulance which show how authorities are sincere with the people of Umerkot and its adjoining Thar region.
People belonging to Talukas of Umerkot, Samaro, Kunri, and Pithoro visit this hospital to get t0140reatment. The Taluka Hospital Umerkot has been upgraded to the level of Civil Hospital / District Headquarters Hospital. Three Rural Health Centers viz Samaro, Kunri and Pithoro has been upgraded to the level of Taluka Headquarters Hospital. The following dispensaries and basic health units have been made functional in the financial year. The treatment facilities are not satisfactory at these health units, which also needs to be improved.
Umerkot district was initially created in 1993, but later on, due to some political reasons, it was abolished and merged with district Mirpurkhas in December 2000. However, after four years, it was restored in December 2004. There is lack of health facilities in Umerkot as a result, worst affected are children.