ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): Citizens of federal capital Friday
said several patients face routine delays for hospitals bed after
emergency admission in major hospitals of federal capital on daily basis.
According to them, hospitals use emergency corridors and side rooms
to cope with the growing number of incoming patients at emergency and
other departments of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and
Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC).
They demanded of the quarters concerned to increase the beds number
in all major hospitals of the federal capital to ensure provision of best
medical care to patients with severe health complications.
They said due to standard health care delivery system in federal
capital’s major hospitals, mostly patients from across the country visit
these hospitals, which needed major increase in beds.
Arif Hameed, an attendant of patient at PIMS said, “My brother
Waseem of age 55 years was rushed to PIMS hospital on complaint of chest
pain with fear of heart attack.”
“On arrival at hospital he was advised blood and heart tests. At that
point, hospital staff decided to admit him for further checks, but he spent
more than three hours waiting for a bed,” he added.
The existing beds were not sufficient to bear the burden of incoming
patients at PIMS and FGPC, Irfan Khan, a patient admitted at PIMS said.
He said, “I am satisfied with the services being provided by the
hospital management but due to limited beds many patients have to return back and get admission in private hospitals.”
Another patient Salim Khan said many poor patients couldn’t
afford the expenses of private hospitals and asked for ensuring availability
of beds in different departments of PIMS and FGPC.
He said there was a limited space available at PIMS emergency
where mostly serious patients visit with severe health complications and
needed stay at hospital till recovery.
Imran Arif, a brother of a patient at FGPC said health care
services should be improved at hospital emergency to entertain maximum number of patients.
He said only limited beds were available in the wards, attached
with the emergency department, where not only staff was limited but there
was acute shortage of medicines.
Dr Sobia Faisal, a medical practitioner said, “No doctor wants to see
patients waiting in corridors, side rooms and emergency entry or exit points
when they should be admitted to a hospital bed.
These patients are still under the care of doctors and nurses of
course, but this is not ideal for them as overcrowding leads towards outcomes.”
She said the overcrowding was dangerous as it leads to worse
outcome for patients like higher rate of infection and carrying of
communicable diseases.
When contacted, an official of Capital Administration and Development
Division (CADD) said the government would improve the services at PIMS
and FGPC as both hospitals were providing health care services to the
residents of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, their adjoining areas, Northern Punjab,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the government was also working on extension of FGPH and for
the said purpose, a land piece of 2.54 acres adjacent to FGPC had been allocated.
The official said after the said construction, the bed capacity
would be increased from 545 existing to 1,100 and allocation of Rs100 million as token allocation had been made in the PSDP of last financial year.
Similarly, he added, the government was working on PC-1 for
construction of new self contained specialty block in PIMS comprising a
50-bed burn centre, an improved mother and child centre, new 200-bed
gynecology centre and a new 100-bed trauma centre.
He said a new OPD of 150 consulting rooms catering for at least 3,000
consultations per day, a 200-bed Children’s Hospital new block, with a 50-bed central ICU and a new operation theatre complex would also be part of the project.
APP/ya/aa/rkg