As many as 167 posts of pharmacists are lying vacant in various public sector hospitals in Sindh and non-qualified pharmacy staff is playing with the lives and health of people, it was learned on Thursday.
A senior official of health department on condition of anonymity confirmed that there were total of 180 posts of pharmacists for five teaching hospitals, 10 districts hospitals and 11 other hospitals, including Director Health Office Karachi, out of which only 13 qualified pharmacists were performing duties in different public healthcare.
He said 167 posts of pharmacists were lying vacant in various public hospitals in the province. He informed that posts of pharmacists had been increased from 30 to 80 in 2011-12, while seats again increased from 80 to 180 in 2012-13. He said the provincial government could not appoint qualified pharmacists on vacant posts. He said only 13 qualified pharmacist were performing their duties in different hospitals while rest of seats were still lying vacant in public healthcares.
He said non-technical staff was playing with health and lives of people in hospitals. He said pharmacists had important role in health sector like purchasing medicine, storing, distribution, maintain quantity and quality drug for patients. Unfortunately, all such duties are in the hands of non-qualified staff in public healthcares due to shortage of pharmacists in hospitals, he explained. He said people were contracting different complicated diseases due to self-medication and lack of awareness about uses of medicines.
Source said 39 posts of pharmacists of 17 grade were lying vacant in Civil Hospital Karachi as only two pharmacists Jahangir Noorani and Ghazala Masroor were serving as senior pharmacist and chief pharmacist in the hospital respectively. Different sections of bulk store were being run by non-qualified employees in the hospital, he added.
Majority of posts are lying vacant in Civil Hospital Karachi, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro, Chandka Medical College Larkana, Peoples University of & Health Sciences Benazirabad, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Sukkur, 10 districts level hospitals and 11 other big hospitals of province.
Senior leader of Pakistan Medical Association Center, Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, when contacted, said pharmacists had significant role in health sector and it was unfortunate that big number of pharmacist posts were lying vacant in Sindh province.
He condemned the appointments of non-qualified staff in pharmacy departments in public healthcares. He said only pharmacists knew the detail and managements of medicines due to its technical importance.
He demanded of the government to appoint qualified pharmacists in public healthcares on merit across Sindh province to fulfil the shortage.
Secretary Health Sindh Iqbal Hussain Durrani was not available for comments.
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