Karachi, Sindh

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah formally inaugurated the 200-bedded Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) Children Hospital Korangi with 28 bedded Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and 52-bedded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on Thursday.

The Korangi Children Hospital is equipped with 21 ventilators, 26 Hi-Flow ventilations, and 20 Phototherapy lights. The hospital has 41-bed General Paediatric wards and has an OPD of around 350 patients per day capacity.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister Health Dr. Azra Pechuho, Local Govt. Minister Syed Nasir Shah, and Parliamentary Secretary for health Qasim Soomro, and Secretary Health Zulfikar Shah.

The Chief Minister talking to the media said that the PPP Government instead of giving mere consolations to the people of Korangi district, has practically served them by giving them the best road infrastructure, flyover, transport, and now this children’s hospital.

Shah said that the hospital has multiple facilities, including OPD, radiology, neonatal intensive care unit, paediatrics intensive care unit, general paediatrics, rehabilitation room, pharmacy, and a well-equipped lab.

The CM said that during the presentation given to him by the Executive Director SICHN Dr. Jamal Raza we, the Sindh govt. has decided to strive more for the healthcare of new-born.

Murad Shah said that he was told that Pakistan has 45.6 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births. However, 80 percent of these deaths can be prevented through the provision of adequate facilities, he said.

Shah said that in order to reduce the neonatal death rate, a three-tier system (or an inverted pyramid structure) has been suggested comprising of provision of primary care in the form of basic health care units, followed by secondary care units at the Tehsil Level consisting of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC: skin–to–skin contact between a mother and her new-born, frequent or exclusive breastfeeding, and early discharge from the hospital) facilities, fluid supports, and essential units primitive for the healthcare of both a mother and her child. He added that the illustrated would be topped by tertiary care units at the district level providing specialized consultative health care.

The CM said that 86 percent of SICHN’s patients have been cured. He added that he has been told that statistically the hospital has an average successful case ratio of greater than 80 percent across all services.

The Korangi Children Hospital has a 28-bedded Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and it has a success rate of 90 percent, and under general paediatric and OPD cases is close to 100 percent.

Murad Shah said that under the augmentation plan for Korangi Children Hospital of SICHN, the Sindh government was going to establish a paediatric surgical unit, services for sub-specialties, expand laboratories, and upgrade the existing infrastructure, besides the provision of medical facilities, SICHN has also established a renowned training accreditation platform.

The CM said that the SICH Satellite Center Project at JPMC was still in its nascent stages even then it has discharged 92 percent of its cases in stable condition. The average number of deliveries per day stands at 35,” he said and added that the neonatal intensive care unit is being expanded in collaboration with Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine, SICHN is developing its genetic testing services including genetic variation tests, screening of inborn error of metabolism, and the application of Artificial Intelligence in Child Health and nursing.

Shah said that a `Collaboration & Community Development Training Unit’ has been established where 72 staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedical of DHO East and Korangi and 36 of Chiniot General Hospital have been trained to handle new-born.

Earlier, the chief minister visited different wards of the hospital and OPD where interacted with the mothers who had brought their children for medical checkups and treatment. (PR)

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Karachi, Sindh

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto performed the groundbreaking of the 1200-bed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases at Korangi Karachi on Monday March 20, 2023.

The ceremony was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federal Health Minister Qadir Patel, Provincial Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Senator Nisar Khuhro, Executive Director NICVD Dr Nadeem Qamar, all the provincial ministers, diplomats, MPAs and PPP leaders and workers in a large number.

The new ZAB institute of cardiovascular disease spread over an area of 40 Acres, located just north of the intersection of Main Korangi Road with Shah Faisal-Korangi Road. The site is bordered on the south by the Institute of Animal Health.

In his address, Chief Minister Murad Shah said that upon completion, the ZAB Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases would be the world’s largest cardiac center, catering to a projected population of 20 million in Karachi and also to the rest of the country. “This state-of-the-art complex will comprise seven buildings, occupying a total area of 2,400,000 square feet. Equipped with the most advanced medical technology,” he said and added that it would offer specialized cardiac medical services, including 16 major and minor operating rooms, 18 cardiac cath labs, two MRI labs, four CT labs, and a range of imaging procedures.

SUIT: Talking about SIUT Healthcare Model, the Community-Government partnership, the CM said that between 2018 and 2022 the largest dialysis center with 380 machines performed around 1350 sessions daily. He added that the largest transplant center performed 6,844 kidney transplants with life-long follow-up and medications for both donors and recipients.

The CM said that the center with five lithotripters treating a large number of stone diseases, dedicated pediatric urology, nephrology, and transplant center. He added that it has a dedicated oncology hospital in the public sector with two radiotherapy machines and PET CT facilities. He proudly said that nearly 15 million people benefited from different services during the last five years.

In Sukkur transplant service was started in SIUT Chablani Hospital where at breast cancer unit surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, and PET CT facilities have been provided.

JPMC: Murad Ali Shah talking about the JPMC Cyberknife unit, said that it has treated 38000 patients and 18000 radio surgeries completed since 2012. He added that a new surgical complex was being established there. The new CyberKnife Unit was being equipped with a robotic surgery facility.

GIMS: The Chief Minister said that Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) has performed 756 liver transplants, 147 kidney transplants, 101 Cornea transplants, 43 Bone marrow transplants, 142 cochlear implant procedures and treated 2446 cancer patients, and gamma knife and 194400 patients in emergency.

Child Life Foundation: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah talking about his government’s partnership with Childlife Foundation said that his government was working with them in 95 Sindh government hospitals and this partnership would further extend to all the government hospitals by the end of this year.

Shah said that no child would be more than 30 minutes away from the world-class ICU services across Sindh. “We treat 1.2 million Pediatric Patients per year. “In the near future we are going to integrate with ambulatory services,” he concluded.

Earlier, Minister Health Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho talked about the health services being provided by the provincial government.

Executive Director Dr. Nadeem Qamar gave a detailed briefing about the ZAB institute project and about the performance of the NICVD and its satellites. (PR)

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Staff Reporter

Karachi

Denim Clothing Company, one of the largest producers of garments for international fashion brands, recently laid off more than 4,000 workers ahead of Eid festival.

The National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) staged a protest demonstration on Sunday (July 3rd) at Karachi press club against the retrenchments. The demonstration was led by Sami Sahir and Himmat Phulpto along with a number of retrenched workers.

Other participants in the protest included Nasir Mansoor and Rafiq Baloch of the National Trade Union Federation, Zahra Khan of the Home Based Women Workers Federation, Karamat Ali of the National Labor Council, Denim Clothing Company workers including Sharan, Ahsan and Mohammad Zohaib, Salman Khan, Shakeel, Daniyal, Sarang Joyo and Sohni Joyo of Sindh Sujaghi Forum, Saeed Baloch of Fisher Fork Forum, Advocate Sajid and Ardash Tanveer, Manzoor Razi of Pakistan Railway Union, Aqib Hussain and Barkat of Alternate, United Home Based Garment Workers Union. Saira Feroze and Ruqqia Muhammad Hanif.

Addressing the protest, the affected workers said that the Denim Clothing Company have many units where thousands of workers are employed. A unit of the same company located in Korangi Industrial Area was forcing workers to sign resignations papers. In the unit around 4,000 workers, including 2,000 women were working in inhuman working conditions.

Workers were harassed, and who did not sign plain papers and resignations were threatened with dire consequences including forced out of work without paying their dues, they protesters alleged.

These workers had been working in factory for five to ten years. Now to avoid paying government-announced minimum wage of Rs.25000 and distribution of Eid bounce, the management had started illegal retrenchment. The management was planning to impose third party contract system (Thekadari) which was against labor laws.

The workers added that labor laws in denim clothing continue to be violated even though the factory produced merchandise for international fashion brands. These brands had entered into Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) with Industrial Global Union (IGU) that the supplying factories will fully comply with local and international labor laws. But the factory had been violating the agreement for the past ten years.

The factory did not provide written employment contract to workers, most workers were deprived of EOBI and social security cover, and they deprived of basic rights such as union formation and right to bargain collectively.

A written complaint had been lodged with the Labor Department against the abuse of workers’ fundamental rights. The Labor Department had called the factory management to respond, but the management refused to respond to any inquiries.

The labor leaders demanded that the sacked workers be reinstated with due back benefits. The Department of Labor must ensure compliance with labor laws, International brands also comply the GFAs and compel its local suppliers to respect and implement labor standards as envisage in the agreements.

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Karachi is the capital city of Sindh province and the biggest city of Pakistan as well as the seventh most important/major city of the world, ranked as the ‘Beta-global City’. It is also the premier industrial and financial center of country, with an estimated GDP of $114 billion as of 2014. This cosmopolitan city is known for linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity, as well as secular and socially liberal city.

With its location on the Arabian Sea coast, Karachi serves as a transport hub, and is home to country’s two largest seaports – the Karachi Port and Bin Qasim Port, and an airport – Jinnah international airport. Karachi was destined to become the most advanced city of this region but vested interests, terrorism, extremism and separatism have turned the once pearl of the East into a cesspit of garbage, blocked sewage systems and muck where the monsoon downpour aggravates the situation.

People of Karachi face thousands of different problems daily. Nowadays people in our locality are suffering a lot due to the faulty pipelines of sewerage system. We have lot of other problems like load shedding, water supply issue, shortage of gas, garbage everywhere. But the obstruction of the sewerage system is becoming sensitive issue with every passing day due to the responsible organizations which I personally do not want to mention. After the last year’s rainstorm spell played havoc, the main roads submerged, sewage spewing from main holes and from gutters to home, and the power cuts lasting for hours resulting in worst situation. The residents of our locality complained many times in the offices of the organizations who maintain the drainage system of Karachi, but still they haven’t acted upon our complaint. The drain water stands in the street for months and due to which we face unhygienic condition and health issues such as skin diseases, respiratory problems and hepatitis etc. in our locality.

We are facing sewerage problems since a long time. The local roads are flooded with wastewater, and the entire area is stinking, which has become unbearable for the people. This sewage system issue needs immediate attention and sensible steps by the concerned authorities.

Muhammad Ameen Shaikh

Sindh Medressa-tul Islam University

Res. Address. House No. R-152, Block-3, Makhdoom Bilawal Cooperative Housing Society, Korangi, Karachi

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