Administrator irked by sorry state of affairs at Gizri Maternity Home

Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Ali Shallwani has expressed his displeasure at the performance of the Gizri Maternity Home and warned that no negligence or lethargy would be tolerated.

"The staff of public sector hospitals have to perform their duties. These are basic healthcare centres where a large number of people come to get treatment,” he said as he paid a visit to the maternity home.

Shallwani was irked by unsatisfactory cleanliness at the place and poor facilities being provided to the patients. He also asked the maternity home's management why only one patient had been admitted to such a big hospital.

Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Sameena Arshad told the administrator that daily 70 to 80 patients visited the hospital but her claim was contradicted by the registration note book, according to which only 16 patients visited on the day.

Shallwani also expressed anger over the fact that of the six incubators available at the health facility, five were dysfunctional.

The MS said that the Gizri Maternity Home was being run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Falah Trust and the KMC paid salaries to its 49 staffers, including six doctors.

She added that eight families of the staffers were residing in government apartments inside the hospital. Doctors at the maternity home failed to give satisfactory replies to the administrator’s queries. He rejected the briefing and said that the present state of the facility was not something to be tolerated.

He also asked why a majority of 49 staffers were absent and most of the rooms were locked. The administrator said it was the responsibility of local bodies to provide mother care facilities to ensure timely treatment to pregnant women at a nearest place.

"The KMC is taking all-out measures to provide better facilities to the people and ensure provision of medicines and other equipment," said Shallwani. He directed that the Gizri Maternity Home should be upgraded as soon as possible so that the people who could not afford private hospitals could have access to better health facilities.