KARACHI - Karachi Administrator Laeeq Ahmed on Thursday said that all possible steps were being taken to provide better medical facilities to the citizens.
“Support of the private sector is sought to ensure the constant availability of modern equipment and machinery in hospitals. Arrangements are being made to ensure that the necessary and sensitive areas have the services of expert and experienced staff,” the Administrator said this on the occasion of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KMC and Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases Association on Thursday.
Senior Director Coordination Khalid Khan, Senior Director Medical and Health Services Dr. Abdul Hameed Jamani, Medical Superintendent Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Dr. Nadeem Asif, Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases Association Head Nawab Masood, and Khurram Hameed were also present.
The MoU was signed by Dr Abdul Hameed Jamani and Nawab Masood on behalf of their respective organizations.
Ahmed said that the KMC was taking measures for making CT scan machine and other departments useful for patients at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. He said that this was another major breakthrough in the provision of medical facilities in Karachi, which will provide better treatment facilities to the poor and middle class.
The Administrator said that under this agreement KMC and KIKDA would jointly activate CT scan machine in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital which was non-functional for a long time.
KIKDA will provide technical and other necessary support including the services of professional technicians and consultants and the payment of their remuneration.
Apart from emergency and accident cases, this facility will be available to indoor and outdoor patients at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital at which all the expenses incurred will be borne by the private sector while patients can be referred to other government hospitals with the consultation if required.
CT scan facility will be provided free of cost to the patients at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and they will not have to pay any fee. Ahmed said that the CT scan department would provide uninterrupted supply of power / generator and safety of machine and staff while all necessary funds for repair of the machine will also be provided. At present, the contract period is one year which can be further expanded by mutual consent.
The Administrator said that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital provided emergency medical aid to a large part of the city in case of emergency and a large number of patients came here daily for diagnosis and treatment. All facilities were also provided to the patients undergoing treatment.
“Patients injured in various accidents need a CT scan for which the department must be active, especially in a situation where it is necessary to perform an immediate CT scan to save the patient’s life,” he added.
He said that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital would be equipped with this important and highly sensitive facility as soon as possible for which the Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases Association was contacted and we were grateful for their cooperation. Ahmed said that with the installation of machines and equipment in medical institutions, their maintenance on a regular basis was also necessary as hospitals might need these machines at any time. “Every effort is being made to provide such facilities in all the medical institutions run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, so that the quality of these institutions can be improved,” the Administrator said.
He said that along with improving the basic infrastructure of the city, the process of upgrading the medical institutions is also underway for which cooperation and consultation has been sought from the civil society and welfare institutions and this will continue in the future as well.