Govt hospitals sans platelet machines

MN Report

KARACHI - Sindh health department’s officials have failed to install mega platelet machines (Blood Cell Separator) functional at major public sector hospitals of the province.

The mega platelet machines were purchased by Sindh health department at an estimated cost of Rs50 million in 2010.

According to sources, these highly important and sensitive machines, which were to be installed in major government hospital of the province, have been gathering dust for years now.

Highlighting the importance of such machines, sources said that the mega platelet machines separate blood cells like plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Suspecting foul-play in the delaying tactics allegedly adopted by some concerned officials for the installation of mega platelet machines, sources said that dengue viral fever patients required platelets blood cells, but since platelets machines have not yet been made operational at the government hospitals, the patients have no choice but to purchase costly platelets from private health care institutions.

However, officials attributed the delay in making the mega platelet machines functional to shortage of skilled staff, mega unit bags and some other equipment.

Only one mega platelet machine is operational at Civil Hospital Karachi, while remaining public sector hospitals of the province which are still without these machines include Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Lyari General Hospital, Singh Government Qatar Hospital Orangi, Karachi; Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana; People’s Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Benazirbad; Liaquat Medical College, Ghulam Muhammad  Mehar Medical College, Sukkur and taluka hospitals of Ghotki and Dharki.

However, when the issue of non-installation of mega platelet machines was brought into the notice of provincial secretary health Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, he said that all-out efforts would be made to ensure these machines become functional across the Sindh province without any further delay.