MULTAN,Feb Ist:Hundreds of female patients have to suffer at Labour room of the NIshtar Hospital,Multan due to severe shortage of staff and space, yet the provincial health department has not given any attention to the issue so far.People of Multan have demanded to provide at least six operation theatres in Nishtar Hospital immediately to save the lives of expectant women. Similar condition is of the paediatrics department.Due to acute shortage of space at the paediatrics department of the NHM, two to three child patients with severe sicknesses and even infections are being kept on a single bed that according to health experts, give rise to chances of getting a patient infected with the other. Sometimes, the paeds department has to keep even three child patients on a single bed. The sanctioned bed strength of the paeds department is less than required however the department is operating a total of 85 beds to accommodate extraordinary heavy burden of child patients here. A report revealed that as many as 170 to 200 child patients remain present in the 85-bedded paeds department any time in any of the three shifts. The existing paeds department accommodates at least four persons — two child patients and two mothers — on a single bed and it further increases chances of infection particularly among child patients according to health experts. Of the 85 beds, 46 are used as ward, 25 as nursery, four beds are in ICU while 10 are used for child emergency cases. "The paeds department has to cater to the needs of huge influx of child patients from Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan Divisions , Sindh's Kashmor -Jacobabad, Balochistan's Loralai, Ruknee, Zhob while the population of the Multan has also increased many times and the increase in number of beds at the paeds department is not proportionate to population increase," said a senior doctor here on Monday .He added that also the influx is increasing consistently because of provision of free of cost treatment at the paeds department. "The paeds department provides all essential medicines and necessary diagnostic tests free of cost to all patients." Apart from space, the patients have to suffer much due to severe shortage of staff as only 12 nurses in assistance with 20 nursing students are serving to cater to the needs of around 180 patients round the clock.
"According to recommendation of Pakistan Nursing Council, there should be at least four nurses in three shifts on each six beds means the paeds department should have at least 50 plus nurses in all three shifts instead of 12," said a staff nurse