Taluka Hospital Ratodero has failed to meet the requirements of healthcare despite the annual allocation of Rs 18 million for medicines and other purposes.
The hospital has recently been handed over to the Integrated Health Services (IHS), under government’s Public Private Partnership scheme to improve its performance, but the result so far is almost zero as the patients are not being provided prescribed medicines and other diagnostic facilities.
X-Ray and Ultrasound machines, water filter plant and generator of the hospital have been worthless since a long time. Out of four ambulances, two have been abandoned as both are not roadworthy, while remaining two are outdated.
Shehri Ittehad Anees Rahman Junejo leaders Allah Warayo Umrani, Abdul Hameed Arbani, Shahid Hussain Jalbani, Manthar Umrani, Mir Hazar Jalbani and Bashir Ahmed Soomro visited the hospital and checked the facilities. Patients have complained countless time that no facility or medicines were being provided to them. The patients said that they were constantly referred to Larkana for treatment.
The patients said that they were forced to purchase drugs from private stores instead of being provided with the medicines from the hospital store. According to the patients, even dog bite ARV injections were not available at the hospital. Heaps of garbage was also visible in and around the hospital, which showed the management’s negligence despite having the required sanitation staff.