Delay in free dialysis facility angers CM

PUNJAB Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has reprimanded the Health authorities for not completing arrangements, including transfer of funds, in time for providing free kidney dialysis facility at the district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals and tertiary care hospitals, resulting in a delay in launching the chief minister’s free dialysis programme, supposed to be started with effect from August 14, 2008. Sources informed that the Health Department officials were also assigned the duty to contact the principals and medical superintendents (MS) of all the DHQ and tertiary care hospitals on Monday evening to get the information about the missing facilities and shortage of the necessary staff so that complete arrangements could be made for immediate start of free dialysis services simultaneously in all districts of the province. The sources further said that the banners were being displayed in the teaching hospitals of the provincial metropolis on late Monday night for disseminating information to general public about the free dialysis facility. However, when this correspondent contacted the principals and medical superintendents of teaching hospitals of the city, they informed that funds for free dialysis service were not received yet to formally start free dialysis of kidney patients. They said that the hospitals had all the arrangements in place and the free dialysis service would be initiated as soon as the funds were received for this purpose. Meanwhile, according to a handout issued here on Monday, the Health Department, on the instructions of Punjab CM, is currently providing free dialysis facilities to kidney patients in 20 hospitals of the province while eleven dialysis machines have been provided to Jhelum, Chakwal and Muzaffargarh hospitals which would soon be made operational. According to details, free dialysis facility announced by the Punjab CM has been made available at the Mayo Hospital, the Services Hospital, the Jinnah Hospital, the Lahore General Hospital, the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, the Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahimyar Khan, the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital (ex-Rawalpindi General Hospital), Rawalpindi, the Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, the District Hospital, Rawalpindi, the DHQ hospitals of Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Sahiwal, Nankana Sahib, Mianwali, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, DG Khan, Jhang and Sargodha and tehsil headquarters hospitals of Khushab as well as of other cities. The CM also issued directions for establishment of separate dialysis centres at each DHQ and tertiary care hospital. Instructions have also been issued by the Health Department to medical superintendents to maintain computerised waiting lists of patients, besides they have been told that the waiting period must not exceed more than a week. Similarly, medical instructions should be displayed at prominent places within and outside dialysis centres and proper publicity be ensured, they have been told. Meanwhile, the medical superintendents have been asked to ensure that the funds for dialysis treatment, repair and maintenance of medical equipments, if not already allocated/available must be demanded immediately. They have further been directed to ensure that all dialysis centres are fully functional and a compliance report be furnished to the Health Department by the end of current month.