Daily Times

Major urological operations have been shut for the past three months at the Urology Department of the largest teaching hospital of upper Sindh, Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

The 1700-bed Hospital of rural Sindh, CMCH is facing crippling problems owing to non-availability of required surgical instruments, equipment and machinery. These major operations that stand suspended include TransUrethral Resection of Prostate (TURP), Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT), Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and Urethroplasty. The Urology Department building has been shifted to the Dental Department about six months back owing to repair and renovation work which has not begun yet.

In this connection, Prof. Malik Hussain Jalbani, Head, Urology Department, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) wrote letters to the CMCH Medical Superintendent, Dr. Syed Ershad Hussain Kazmi, and demanded supply of the vital 54 instruments, machinery and equipment so that operations could be carried out before it is too late, but no response has been received so far despite passage of one and half month. Even the diathermy machine has not yet been repaired which has exposed the so-called CMCH improvement.

The required OT instruments include C-Arm machine, OT Table Fluoroscopy Compatible, ultrasound machine, Anesthesia machine with ventilators, diathermy monopolar and bipolar, suction machine, URS (adults and paeds), Stone Pinch with accessories, digital monitor, HD endoscopic visual inspection, instruments drum, open surgical instruments, ventilators, OT lights, autoclave, PCNL (standard, miniature, paeds micro, dilator, balloon dilator and allcare), Teflon focal dilator, endoscopic biopsy forcep, lithotriptor, moses laser, latest laparoscopic cutting sets, robot for urological surgeries and others.

Prof. Jalbani said that approximately 200 to 300 poor patients are coming to Urology OPD daily who need these major operations to remain alive or else their complications will further exacerbate. He said poor patients of many nearby districts apart from Balochistan also reach here to get treatment, adding that without these essential instruments and equipments, doctors are unable to perform surgeries; hence patients continue to suffer for negligence of others. He said urological ailments have become common among children, women and aged people for which they need proper medical treatments or surgical procedures.

CMCH MS Dr. Ershad Kazmi when contacted,said that the equipment of the urology department is included in the tender, and supply of which is expected to be completed before the end of 2021. He said that kidney transplantation will also be made at the urology department for the first time in the history of CMCH.

The people of Larkana ,however, have demanded the rulers to pay proper attention to the healthcare needs and requirements of CMCH so that poverty-ridden patients do not suffer anymore.