A scene at the hospital

The country is sharply divided between the haves and the have-nots. The woes and plight of the poor and the underprivileged are often ignored. A few days back, I visited the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi with my mother who had to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). She needed proper attention and round the clock monitoring, but, unfortunately, nothing was in order in the NICVD. Although the hospital claims that it has played a pivotal role in caring for patients with heart disease, the reality is quite different. The first tertiary cardiac care institute in South Asia had not enough space in the emergency ward for both men and women. There were no beds available for new patients and I had to get the bed through influencing the administration.

It was shocking to see the cats roaming inside general wards. The staff was overworked and scanty. It was a sight of sheer helplessness. Eventually, I had to take my mother to a private hospital and spent a hefty amount. There is no doubt that the flow of patients in the NICVD hospital is heavy, but not every person can enjoy the luxury of taking his or her patient to a private hospital. In a big city like Karachi, we need more than one state-of-the-art heart hospitals so that all patients can be easily accommodated.

Nasir Soomro

Karachi