Karachi:
Hosting 2.4 million children under the age of five, Karachi faces an alarming shortage of intensive pediatric care (USI) and neonatal intensive care units (USIN) in its government hospitals.
In eight major public hospitals in the city, there are barely 2,200 beds, 126 fans and 309 incubators in the districts and pediatric emergencies, which are terribly inadequate given the population of children in the city. These limited installations are available at Karachi Civil Hospital, at the National Institute of Child Health (Nich), at Lyari General Hospital, at Liaquatabad hospital, at Qatar Orangi Town hospital, at the Sindh Nagan Chowrangi government hospital, at the Sindh New Karachi Government Hospital and the Sindh Institute of Korangi Children.
Due to the insufficient number of beds and equipment, children suffering from serious conditions are often refused, pushing desperate parents to private hospitals. However, the cost of private health care is out of reach of most families. Admission to a private pediatric USI often requires prior payment from RS1 to 2 lakhs while the daily cost of care in USI varies between 50,000 Rs to 100,000 rupees. In addition to this, parents must support the cost of medicines and surgical supplies separately.
Maria, a mother of Nipa Chowrangi, deplored that the treatment of children has become unaffordable for most parents. “Five years ago, a pediatric consultation cost RS500 to RS800. Now, pediatricians invoice RS3,000 to 5,000 per visit. In Gulshan-E-IQbal, doctors invoice RS2,000 for a five-minute consultation and blood tests can cost 2,000 rupees of RS1,500 for medication.
Likewise, Iqbal, father of Arham, five, shared that he had spent more than 7,300 rupees in just two weeks while treating his son’s fever. “The money was spent on the doctor’s expenses, the tests for malaria, dengue and typhoid, and I prescribed medication. I earn rs1 200 per day as a factory worker and I had to take three days off. This brought the total financial blow to around 10,000 rupees,” said Iqbal.
Professor Dr. Wateem Jamalvi, President of Pakistan Pediatric Association (SINDH), said that illnesses in children increased due to a lack of vaccination and coherent breastfeeding for two years. “These lead to low immunity, development problems and greater vulnerability to infections.
Through the Sindh, especially in rural areas, there is a serious shortage from Picu. In many public hospitals, two to three children are admitted to a single bed due to the lack of space. Despite the increase in the annual budget, no substantial addition has been made to the number of pediatric beds for decades. The current neonatal mortality rate in the Sindh is 2.9%, which represents 29 out of 1,000 newborns due to complications.
In many districts through the Sindh, there is no functional picus. In the few installations available, there is a lack of specialized pediatricians, trained nurses and support staff. With 10.2 million children under the age of five, 5% of the 60 million Sindh inhabitants – there is an urgent need for emergency pediatric care.
According to Professor Dr. Jamal Raza, former director of the Nich, Pakistan has not been able to reduce its neonatal mortality rate, with 40 newborns out of 1,000 dying complications such as premature birth, infections and respiratory difficulties.
“Maternal malnutrition, lack of prenatal care and dangerous home deliveries, especially in rural Sindh, are among the main guilty. In many rural hospitals, incubators are not available even for baby at low birth. In 52, “noted Dr. Raza.
