Old students of Dow Medical College have launched a project of "Radio diagnostics and imaging" at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) to facilitate and support hundreds of needy patients.
The Dow graduates of 1979 and Poor Patients Aid Society (PPAS) of CHK launched the project at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) here on Friday.
In a message, Sindh Health Minister Naim Ishtiaq said that the government despite its limited resources was committed to improve health care facilities and did appreciate the assistance extended by the philanthropists.
The facility would support hundreds of needy patients visiting the hospital everyday and requiring relevant tests as well as medical care and treatment.
Ishtiaq commended the contribution being made by the Patients Welfare Association (PWA), Khadim-e-Insaniyat and other NGOs working at the hospital.
PPAS President former justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui while terming the Dow students a dedicated and public-spirited batch of doctors, appreciated them for their generous investment in upgrading the much needed facility at one of the major hospitals of the province and catering to the patients both from Sindh and Balochistan.
He said a decision in this regard was taken in 2003 by the PPAS. To carry forward the decision, a committee was constituted, under the guidance of Professor Mahmood Razi of Karachi X-Rays, to suggest ways and means for upgrading the existing facilities in the radiology block.
In the light of the committee's recommendations, the PPAS approved the renovation of the radiology block and earmarked Rs 2 million for the purpose, he added.
In the meantime, the batch of 1979 Dow students joined hands with PPAS and offered to donate equipment.
The PPAS till 2002 was managing the disbursement of federal Zakat along with its own collected Zakat and donations. However, since the government's decision to disburse Zakat through the hospital management, the organisation started to collect Zakat and donations on its own for the benefits of poor patients, he added.
The PPAS was stated to have spent about Rs 7.5 million during 2001-02 in supporting radiology, biochemistry, patient's care facilities and institutional improvement through donations, grants and donor participation.
In the current year, it had spent Rs 1.3 million for providing medicines to poor patients using privately collected Zakat and donations, the PPAS president said adding that this was besides the material support provided to the radiology and ultrasound department and the central laboratory of the CHK.
Former justice Said-uz-Zaman Siddiqui said that out of Rs 640 million allocated for the hospital under the provincial budget 2003-04, Rs 516.8 million were spent on salaries, Rs 37.9 million on utilities, Rs 10.5 million on consumables, Rs 4.2 million for repairs and maintenance, Rs 2.6 million on uniforms and liveries and Rs 5.5 million on diet ultimately leaving only a paltry sum of Rs 60.7 million for medicines.
But, even of this amount, he said, about 25 percent could be utilised through local purchases, while the remaining had to be routed through the two depot, therefore, creating a perennial shortage of medicines in the hospital, he said.
The ceremony was also attended by Sindh Health Minister Naeem Ishtiaq, DUHS Vice Chancellor Professor Masood Hameed, Health Secretary Ashique Memon, CHK Medical Superintendent Captain Dr Mirza Raza Ali, Dr Saleem Illyas, Dr Shoaib Subhan and Professor Naheed Sultan.
Comments
Comments are closed.