Sindh hospitals in deep crises due to shortage of life-saving drugs

KARACHI: Sindh Health Department had failed to supply life-saving medicines to public sector health facilities across Sindh despite the lapse of almost two quarters of the fiscal year.

Due to the blatant incompetence of the Sindh health department, provincial government-run health facilities had been suffering from a severe scarcity of life-saving pharmaceuticals and surgical disposal materials for the past six months.

Doctors frequently ask patients in Sindh's hospitals, such as Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, National Institute of Child Health (NICH), and others, to buy medicinal products out of their own wallets.

The acquisition of life-saving pharmaceuticals, surgical and disposable goods, X-ray films, chemical and allied materials through a centralised system of drug procurement is nearing completion, according to sources in the Sindh health department. In a few weeks, medicine deliveries to hospitals are expected to recommence.

Life-saving medications and other supplies are in short supply in health facilities in Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, and other towns. Many essential drugs for individuals with chronic illnesses were also unavailable in most government-run institutions.

In order to control malfeasance and other flaws in the purchase of medications, the Sindh Health Department implemented a centralised procurement system in 2014-15 to purchase life-saving drugs for all health facilities. Since then, around 85% of medicines for all of Sindh's public hospitals had been acquired through a centralised system, with the other 15% procured locally.

Despite the passage of several months, the lengthy and intricate procurements procedure had put the lives of many impoverished people in peril across Sindh province since the supply of drugs to public sector hospitals has yet to begin.

Almost all of Sindh's major government hospitals are currently experiencing a severe scarcity of life-saving medications and surgical supplies. To avoid a crisis-like situation, an official at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) remarked that a tender for the procurement of medications and surgical goods through the central procurement system should have been published in May or June. However, Sindh's hospitals face this tragic circumstance every year due to the challenging and time-consuming process of purchasing medicines.

He further stated that the administration's daily provision of medications and surgical items to OPDs and emergency patients had grown much more arduous.