Islamabad-The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) administration has renovated the hospital externally but the hospital is still short of ventilators and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the patients, The Nation learned on Monday.

Sources informed The Nation that although the hospital administration has taken measures for the renovation of the hospital, the facility faces a shortage of primary medical equipment for patients.

An official said that the influx of patient at PIMS in Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) is 10000 daily, while the emergency which is opened 24 hours receives around 4000 patients daily.

The source said that hospital has a total of 100 ventilators which are installed in different departments including children hospital.

The official said that more than 50percent of the patients are always in line to avail the medical equipment.

“Some of the patients expire due to non-availability of the ventilators or the family members have to shift their patient from the hospital in search of the ventilator,” said the official.

He also said that sometimes patient dies while being shifted from PIMS to another private hospital, while a large number of people are not be able to shift their patient and rely on oxygen cylinder as they cannot afford the expense of the ventilator.

Official said that the cost of ventilator in private hospitals varies but normally it starts from Rs7000per day.

“Ventilator is an expensive facility and poor patients cannot afford it,” he said.

A patient is put on the ventilator when he suffers from chronic respiratory problems and his/her lungs are not functioning.

According to the data Medical ICU has 09, Surgical ICU 12, Peads ICU12, Burn Care Center 12, Critical Care Unit 12, Neurology ICU12, and Cardiac Center06, Gynaecology 14, and above ten ventilators are on extra beds.

Official said that number of times the medical officials have been subjected to violence by the attendants on non-availability of ventilators.

“They beat the doctors accusing them for not shifting patient on ventilator but the fact is that the hospital is facing severe shortage of them,” he said.

Imad Ahmed, an attendant with a critical female patient, talking to The Nation said that she brought her sister to PIMS for neurology medical examination, but had to shift her to a private hospital in Rawalpindi as the hospital does not have enough beds to admit her.

He said that after a week of admission in private hospital, he suffered severe financial problems as he spent more than Rs300000 in ten days.

“I returned to PIMS again in search of ventilator because I cannot afford expenses of a private hospital anymore,” he said.

However, Imad said, there is no bed or ventilators available in the hospital as all are occupied.

“Officials have told us to wait until a bed is vacant and the patient can be shifted to a ventilator,” he said.

Imad added that there are number of patients already in line and he is not confirming whether his term will be in time or not, while her sister is struggling for life.

The hospital earlier this year had introduced a referral system between hospitals before shifting any critical patient to hospital.

The implementation of this system was suggested on the grounds that PIMS has an insufficient number of ventilators for all the patients being referred from other hospitals.

The order had directed all concerned doctors and hospitals to refer the patients to PIMS after confirming the bed positions in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) Surgical ICU, Peads ICU, Neurology ICU, Critical Care Unit (CCU) and BCC.

The official also said that hospital’s MRI machine is also dysfunctional and patients coming from far-flung areas are returning without the tests.

Official said that earlier CT scan machine remained dysfunctional for almost one week and now the MRI is out of order.

“MRI and CT scan are expensive tests which range from Rs6000 to 10000 and certainly poor patients cannot afford it from private hospitals,” he said.

PIMS spokesperson Dr. Waseem Khawaja talking to The Nation said that no doubt hospital is facing shortage of ventilators but now hospital administration has proposed for separate ICUs and more ventilators for the patients.

He said that hospital administration advises the patient and other regional hospitals to confirm the availability of ventilator before shifting him/her to hospital.

“I cannot give a precise number but the hospital needs maximum ventilators,” he said.

Dr. Waseem Khawaja also said that MRI and CT scan also repeatedly go out of order because of the huge influx of patients. He said that MRI machine will be soon functional.