Baqar angered by lack of medicines, poor conditions at Qatar Hospital

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, during a surprise visit to the Sindh Government Qatar Hospital on Tuesday, ordered an inquiry and an audit to ascertain the reasons behind a shortage of medicines, off-road ambulances, some out-of-order lab machines and unhygienic conditions at the health facility.

The CM went from ward to ward, OPD, emergency and pharmacy, and also inspected the ambulance service at the hospital. He expressed his displeasure with the unsanitary condition of various wards where stretchers had stained bedsheets and a pungent stench was felt everywhere. He noticed that the patients from two wards were removed to clean them.

Justice (retd) Baqar met patients and their attendants, and most complained about the unavailability of medicines. He visited the medicine store where he was told that an order to purchase medicines had been placed on August 25, 2023, but the delivery was yet to be received. He checked the purchasing order and told the vendor on the phone to provide medicines within a week or he would be blacklisted.

A woman met the CM in the pharmacy and told him she was making trips to the hospital for insulin, but it was unavailable. He directed the MS to arrange insulin for the woman and report to him. The insulin was arranged during his visit.

Baqar noticed that some private medical stores were functioning inside the government hospital. On his inquiry, he was told that the hospital administration had issued them vacation orders, but they had got a stay from the court. He ordered the health department to pursue the case and get the stay vacated so that their position could be taken over by the hospital.

The interim CM inspected the fleet of ambulances, but most of them were out-of-order and off-road. He expressed his displeasure and directed Secretary Health Dr Mansoor to inquire into the matter and report him.

The CM expressed his displeasure over the unhygienic conditions of the hospital, its streets, wards, corridors, machines, pharmacy, and ambulance service and directed the health secretary to conduct an inquiry and report to him. He said action must be taken against the delinquent officers. Separately, the CM went to the Orangi Police station where he inspected the FIR register, lock-up, 15 service, wireless room, and malkhana and expressed his dismay and disappointment.

He noticed that two heavy motorcycles of the Shaheen Force were lying abandoned at the police station, both dirty and out of order. He said the government had given them heavy and costly motorcycles for patrolling, but the police had abandoned them, which was unacceptable.

When the CM checked the 15 service, it was found to non-functional and the phone was not working. At this, he expressed his displeasure and directed the DIG West to conduct an

inquiry and report to him.

Justice Baqar also visited the wireless service, but its connectivity had some problems. At this, he asked the SHO how he was getting connected with his force in the field. He voiced displeasure with the placement of the case property, particularly the motorbikes which had rusted and broken and were lying in the shape of heaps of motorbikes inside the police station.

The CM visited the weapon room from where the weapons were issued to the policemen while going in the field. There was no proper logbook; therefore, the CM directed the police to follow the SOP. He directed the DIG West Zone to keep all the police stations in his areas neat and clean and develop an atmosphere where people could approach easily, in case of any complaint.

He directed him to submit to him a detailed inquiry report of all the police stations of his zone, containing the number of policemen, and the condition of the equipment -- the wireless system, mobiles, and ammunition, as well as of the crime trend and ratio.

Sub-registrar office

The CM, on his last leg of surprise visits, went to sub-registrar offices of Gulshan and Jamshed towns and met people present there for registration issues.

He directed the sub-registrars to work honestly and not to annoy people for personal interest. The sub-registrar offices have earned a bad name for the government and now it must come to an end, he stressed.

Senior Member Board of Revenue Zahid Abbasi also reached there and told the CM that his IG Registration had started visiting sub-registrar offices so that their working could be improved.

Domicile office

The CM also visited the Domicile Office in District East where people complained to him that the officer concerned had been transferred and therefore they had not been issued domiciles for the last three days.

He issued directives for the posting of another officer and got the domiciles issued by ADC-II then and there.