Natural calamities that knocked the province during two years time have wiped out 270 healthcare facilities adding to the challenges of the Sindh government already exposed to severe financial crunch, said Provincial Minister for Health Dr Saghir Ahmed on Friday.
He was speaking at a programme during which US Consul General William Martin handed 10 incubators to the Sindh Health Department, including two for gynaecology and obstetrics department, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The much needed incubators, essential for survival of babies born under emergency conditions, have been donated by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The incubators are also to be placed at Civil Hospital Karachi, Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas, Civil Hospital Sanghar, Civil Hospital Dadu, Taluka Hospital Tando Adam and Ganga Bai Hospital Shikarpur. These are the hospitals that have a paediatric unit, a qualified paediatrician, a big number of births per facility, sufficient physical space, electricity, backup generators and genuinely are in need of incubators. Provincial Health Minister said the donation would help greatly for the marginalised sections visiting these government hospitals.
Dr Saghir said 126 facilities including building of some Taluka hospitals were badly damaged during this year's torrential rain in 19 districts of the province and another 144 in 2010. The minister urged the Friends of Democratic Pakistan to look into the issue.
CG William Martin speaking on the occasion hoped the incubators given to the Sindh health department would assist in saving new-born lives and help the recipient hospitals to improve quality of their emergency obstetric care. "Today marks another milestone in the US commitment to improving healthcare for the Pakistani people in Sindh," he said. William Martin said the people of United States Government like their counterparts in Pakistan shared same views when it came to human lives.
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