Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho chaired a meeting on Wednesday to review and improve emergency services in hospitals across the province, with a special focus on upgrading the Emergency Department of the Qatar Hospital, Orangi Town, to international standards.
Officials said representatives from the Aga Khan University (AKU), CEO Sindh Healthcare Commission Dr Ahsan Qavi, Medical Superintendent Qatar Hospital Dr Rashid, and senior officials attended the meeting.
A comprehensive briefing was given on the Qatar Hospital’s current facilities, patient load, shortage of trained staff, and lack of modern equipment. MS Dr Rashid informed the health minister that the hospital serves a population of over 6.5 million, while more than 334,000 patients received emergency care in the last nine months alone. He added that upgrading the Emergency and ICU services in line with modern needs has become crucial.
Dr Azra Pechuho said that saving the life of a patient brought to the emergency is the foremost responsibilityof both the state and healthcare professionals; therefore, a highly skilled workforce, state-of-the-art machinery, and an international-standard emergency system must be ensured without delay. She directed redesigning of the ICU and ER structures and relocation of radiology and laboratory services closer to emergency, ensuring immediate provision of CT scan and other essential services.
She emphasized that the Qatar Hospital will be transformed into a model hospital where trained doctors and nurses are available round the clock. She also expressed interest in formalizing collaboration with the Aga Khan University through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and instructed that details of required HR, bed capacity, design needs, and cost estimates be shared at the earliest. The minister further directed the construction of a direct access corridor to radiology to ensure rapid patient transfer for CT and MRI procedures.
The AKU delegation said that basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiac life support training programmes are mandatory for hospital licensing, yet thousands of doctors are working without certification.
Dr Azra Pechuho approved technical and training collaboration with the AKU, stressing that newly recruited Grade-17 doctors and nurses should immediately undergo BLS training while Grade-18 and senior staff may be trained in phases. She directed that the OT, ICU, and ER staff list of all 130 secondary hospitals in Sindh be compiled for training purposes.
The AKU also proposed introducing a Life Saver Course in schools, along with disaster-response training in collaboration with Rescue 1122 and health facilities. A large-scale drill is proposed in Sanghar and Nawabshah in the second week of January. The minister approved the proposal and directed meetings with commissioners and deputy commissioners to facilitate the exercise. She reiterated that all these initiatives aim to strengthen emergency healthcare, ensure timely life-saving treatment, and upgrade the health system of Sindh to global standards.