LARKANA: The Health Department, Government of Sindh, finally transferred Dr. Muhammad Sharif Pirzado, from Government Hospital, Naundero, where he was posted as Medical Superintendent, on the pretext of continuously making demands for improving the performance of the Hospital which is located in the hometown of martyred Bhutto leaders.
Dr. Pirzado has been posted as Chief Medical Officer (BPS-19), Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana. He left the charge and will join his new place of posting. The 100-bed Government Hospital, Naundero, is lacking essential medical facilities including machinery, instruments, equipment, post-graduate doctors and acute shortage of human resources. Children ward has not been established for which beds are available but there is no child specialist.
FCPS doctors for various disciples are unavailable and availability of medicines for the poverty-stricken patients is also a big question mark. The poor patients arrive at the Hospital from so many adjoining rural villages to get medical treatment to remain alive but all of them have to procure drugs out of their own pockets in this record price hike era. Fuel for the generator is unavailable as patients suffer badly during electricity outages in this sizzling hot weather. C-Section operation has been closed due to which all pregnant women are referred to Larkana which is over 25 kilometers away. Emergency treatment facilities are unavailable which need to be started on an emergency basis to save guns shot and injured from road accidents.
Dr. Pirzado constantly demanded from the District Health Officer (DHO), Director Health Services, Larkana, Director General, Health Services, Sindh and Health Secretary to fulfill all the needs of the Hospital being the political hub of the ruling class and hometown of Bhutto leaders but he was regularly ignored by his bosses and his issues were not resolved. Finally the health minister reached the Bhutto House a few days ago where a meeting of the health managers of Larkana division was also held which was attended by DG Health among others.
Sources claimed that DG health inquired from the DHO Larkana about the figures of annual allocated budget of Larkana district but he could not reply which showed his interest in performing government duties. Then the DHO was again asked that funds of Rs 10 million were provided to you but why drugs were not supplied to the hospital in Naundero, he replied the procurement process is underway.
Sources alleged that one MPA who too was present in the meeting suddenly turned to Dr. Pirzado and asked him as to why he is making correspondence of Hospital needs viral and why he is talking to media persons for fulfilling various requirements of the Hospital. This stunned everybody in the meeting as to how one MPA is asking questions from a senior government servant and all health managers were astonished which proved that political involvement is existing and has ruined the health care institutions in the province, sources further alleged. The health minister remained silent but the MPA did not.
Soon after the meeting Dr. Pirzado was transferred out of the Hospital and Dr. Rahmatullah has been posted as MS but according to sources he too is unwilling to take over because of massive shortfalls at the hospital.
Meanwhile, after issuance of transfer notification on 17th September, DHO wrote a letter to Dr. Pirzado on 20th September directing him to handover the complete charge to Dr. Ghazanfar Hussain Khokhar, Senior Medical Officer, immediately till the joining of Dr. Rahmatullah, which also proved malafide intention.
Citizens of Naundero have demanded that proper health care facilities at their doorsteps are their fundamental right which must be provided to them forthwith instead of referring needy people to other hospitals to get medical treatment free of cost to remain alive.