CHK in need of a skilled workforce for HDUs and ICUs 

KARACHI: The Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK ) administration urgently needs more skilled manpower for its High-Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) to cater to the rising number of coronavirus patients.

A Senior Anesthetist at the CHK noted an acute shortage of critical care doctors, trained nurses, ICU technicians, and other support staff in Sindh’s largest teaching hospital. He informed that there are 205 HDU beds and 12 ventilators for COVID-19 patients in the institution.

He said that the doctors, nurses, and paramedics working in the hospital were not trained properly to deal with emergency COVID-19 patients. They were facing an extra burden due to the increasing workload. On the other hand, many healthcare professionals have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two and a half months. Therefore, there is an urgent need for skilled workers to treat such patients with efficiency, he added.

He said that more than 90 posts of doctors, 100 posts of staff nurses, 200 posts of paramedical staff, five posts in grade-15, 50 posts of sweepers, and other administrative seats have been lying vacant in the teaching hospital since the last several years. Similarly, about 300 posts of non-technical and support staff from grade-1 to grade-14 are also lying vacant.

He said that the CHK needed 40 critical care experts, 40 pulmonologists, 50 skilled nurses, and 50 ICU technicians, wards boys, and janitorial staff to cater to the coronavirus emergency effectively.

He informed that 27 more ventilators were being installed to cater to critical care patients. The number of ventilators will reach to 39 in the hospital soon.

Medical Superintendent, CHK, Dr Khadim Qureshi, admitted that the hospital needs critical care experts, anaesthetists, pulmonologists, and other skilled staff, as COVID-19 patients require special attention and care.

-MN Report