What ever is happening in Pakistan these days is already very saddening, now Huma Wasim’s case added more grief to it.
I am starting thread to discuss healthcare facilities in Pakistan. We can list facilities per city/region.
As per initial media reports what I understood is that this was a case of some resistant bacteria probably MRSA which was not diagnosed by two separate hospitals.
Isnt it time that some serious effort be done in health care, ems and disaster management services.
Re: Huma Wasim’s Death: Pakistan’s Healthcare System
There might be some problems which are part and parcel of any third world country but read this link as well:
Akram’s wife was flown abroad ‘against doctors advice’ - Cricket - Cricket and Sports - MSN India
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
Ehsan bhai thanks for the link. Apart from Huma's case, I believe that Pakistan's govt seriously need to put an effort in reforming health care system of Pakistan. Most of our Paksitanis think that new buildings, bridges , roads and mobile phone is a sign of development, or unprecendented development. But honestly, I did not see much happening in the case of healthcare which is one of the most important pillars of civil life. For example, how many trauma centers have eben established in Pakistan since the earthquake. Apart of 1122 service, is there any govt service which can actually work during disasters. Like in Karachi, the only credible service is Edhi or Cheepa etc, and the only hospitals Karachiites have in case of disasters are Jinnah and Civil which are so below part that one cant imagine. Abbassi Shaheed is a better hospital but that is in one corner of the city.
It was a poor judgement call (whether it was her family or doctors)
Someone in such a serious condition should NOT have been allowed to fly
Perhaps they should have taken her to Shaukat Khanum (preferably) or Agha Khan or Shifa (Islamabad) or army hospitals (CMH or MH) until her condition had stabilised a bit. I am sure staff at these hospitals (don't know about the others and I fully agree with CB about the need for serious healthcare reforms in Pakistan) are well-versed in the management of MRSA etc. But MRSA is a life-threatening and deadly infection and even if diagnosed at the right time there is no guarantee that Huma would have survived
I live in the uK, but a few months ago i volunteer to work in a government hospital in Pakistan, tbh. i was very impressed with our doctor's and dentists, they are very knowledgable, which in part is attributed to alot of the experience they gain in these government hospitals, sum of the patient cases and symptoms i saw we in the Uk only see pictures of in textbooks.
I was shocked however at the facilities and equipment and the lack of it, with regards to the number of patient coming to the hospital everyday. Most importanly the sterilisation and cross infection control was a complete sham, patients were cuming in and told me the that they had becum infected with hep B due to dirty instruments used by a previous dr. that had not been properly sterilised. This is totally unacceptable, and i saw this quite alot.
I did raise my concerns, howvever the sterilisation procedures were designated to untrained staff, the dr's seemed to have given up with the government hospitals, most of them worked privately as well. Dnt get me wrong they did do a gud job,compared to what we get to work with in the UK, those dr's were doing a great job considering the facilities they have
Even if more funds are pumped into the healthcare system it never seems to reach the actual people who are in need of it, sum1 or another lines their own pocket with it, and whoever i spoke all said exactly the same
It is a rather sad state of affairs
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
^^ you mentioned a very valid point. There is no shortage of talent or competency. e.g. Dow Medical College ( now university) is associated with Civil Hospital Karachi and Lyari general hospital. If you will only see these place, you will puke immediately. I once saw a big fat cat coming out of the ICU in Civil from my own eyes. However if you see the doctors from Dow, they are world renowned for their knowledge and capabilities, same goes the case of King Edward, Agha Khan and many more. But still lack of support from govt makes it difficult for most of the doctors to continue their careers in Pakistan. Most of the management of big govt hospital is given to sifarshee chamchay of the govt. Who are corrupt to the highest level.
Most of the funds and donations which go to the hospitals are not fully utilized, there are many patients which die only cause a mere 50 RS medicines were not there in time and the patients themselves were unable to afford to buy from outside. I have seen quite a few cases in Civil Hospital Karachi my self, where patients were totally helpless. There is a lot that needs to be done by the govt for the nation in this regard.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
whaaaaaat??? wasim akram's wife died? :|
The sad thing is that doctors who are working in Pakistan are being murdered in target killings because of sectarian and ethnic hatred. The doctors belonging to the shia community have suffered a lot from target killings. You can read more from this website
Can we really blame the doctors who leave Pakistan to work elsewhere if this is what is happening to them in Pakistan??
Re: Huma Wasim’s Death: Pakistan’s Healthcare System
Medical ?
My brother was operated at AFIC (Armed Fources Institute of Cardialogy) Rawalpindi a bye pass. He is now with Hypetitus C and his lever is almost demaged.
My wife crossed through a kidney transplant at a private hospital at Islamabad and she is now with Hypetitus C.
A death fear is spread due to this system.
Also see another report.
http://www.dawn.com/styles/default/beta/images/logo.jpg
**Fake doctors
**
Dawn Editorial
Monday, 26 Oct, 2009
](http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/14-fake-doctors-zj-03#) ](http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php)
Hospitals which fail to verify credentials with the PMDC before hiring new doctors should be appropriately penalised. –File Photo
[Pakistan
Senators for sending mission to Cuba](http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/medical+students+plight+senators+for+sending+mission+to+cuba+wk)
[Senators for sending mission to Cuba](http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/14-fake-doctors-zj-03)
**Some 70,000 quacks with bogus medical degrees are said to be endangering lives across the country. But the recent news of a fake doctors’ recruitment scam at the District Headquarters Hospital in Rawalpindi raises new concerns about the infiltration of such charlatans into our public healthcare institutions. Several senior health officials have already been arrested for the hiring of at least four people — three of them brothers — whose medical certificates were found to be bogus. One was taken on by the hospital as a neurosurgeon no less. While all those found guilty ought to be prosecuted and punished, more comprehensive preventative measures are also in order.**
For starters, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council could ask all public and private hospitals in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad area to send a list of their doctors for verification. The PMDC needs to introduce a multi-tiered checking and monitoring system which should include routine degree verification in all hospitals. Fake doctors are either not registered with the PMDC or hold phoney registration certificates, and as such unqualified doctors can be weeded out without harassing genuine practitioners. Hospitals which fail to verify credentials with the PMDC before hiring new doctors should be appropriately penalised. Detecting fake doctors requires diligent regulation as well as public awareness and prompt reporting by medical professionals who are suspicious of a colleague’s credentials.
Not many people perhaps know that the PMDC’s website allows the general public to check if their doctors are registered with the council and are thus licensed to practise medicine. The PMDC and the health authorities should encourage the general public, through advertisements and posters, to be involved in exposing fake doctors in this manner. After all it is the public that will benefit most, in terms of safer healthcare, by the eradication of bogus physicians.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
There is no healthcare system in Pakistan.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
Healthcare is much better in Pakistan now, specially given the resources government puts into the sector.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
And in some cases it is even better than the one here in the UK. At least nobody would be asked to wait from 12 to 4 am for a small cut in his hand in Pakistan.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
^exactly. Also, I think we're forgetting that everyone has to die one day whether it's a wife of a rich player or a wife of a poor labourer.
Healthcare is much better in Pakistan now, specially given the resources government puts into the sector.
It could be better for you, since you might have either never visited the "REAL" health care places or you might not have seen some in serious critical situation either rich or poor.
The point is that, is it enough to handle certain situations. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of Hep C spread cause of mere negligence at the very basic health care facilities.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
^ My mother worked in the 'public healthcare' system in Pakistan all her life. Things have been bad but improved in the last 4-5 years. Most of the Pakistani doctors specially working in the rural areas put up a real fight to effectively utilize the meager resources that they are provided.
These doctors have to use their experience and skill to diagnose and treat patients in absence of advanced diagnostic equipment and I guess they are more or less equally successful in doing that.
And then, we are talking about providing treatment to Huma Wasim, which I am sure could be reasonably well provided in Pakistan, specially in private hospitals.
^ My mother worked in the 'public healthcare' system in Pakistan all her life. Things have been bad but improved in the last 4-5 years. Most of the Pakistani doctors specially working in the rural areas put up a real fight to effectively utilize the meager resources that they are provided.
These doctors have to use their experience and skill to diagnose and treat patients in absence of advanced diagnostic equipment and I guess they are more or less equally successful in doing that.
And then, we are talking about providing treatment to Huma Wasim, which I am sure could be reasonably well provided in Pakistan, specially in private hospitals.
I agree that they have improved, but are they enough to handle situations. and really I am not trying to discuss death of Huma Wasim only. Dozens of ppl die in Pakistan daily on health care related issues only. Huma is just an example and got the highlight cause she was wife of a known person.
Else, the real situation is much horrible than one can imagine. The point is that serious reform is required all together. Enough of erecting mobile phone towers and its companies. Pakistan need better services in Water, Electricity , Health care and food.
Like yesterday Sui Nothern Gas Annoucned that it would not provide GAS to the industry for three months. Thats alarming as well.
I know our doctors very well and their capabilities as well, but again they do best with what they got. You know that our house officer who are doing house job after their graduation earn like 6,000 per month and they do work like 12-16 hours perday. This really discourages most of them. Hence they go to other countries. Most of them receive threats from political parties as well, if something goes wrong with political party workers.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
All I am saying is that it is not the fault of people working in health care that the situation is bad and that if a person can afford it, he/she can get quality medical treatment in Pakistan these days.
Re: Huma Wasim's Death: Pakistan's Healthcare System
I fully understand what you are saying. What I am trying to say is that Govt needs to step up and start making some reforms and bring some basic health care system in Pakistan.
I also think that still the highest quality of medical treatment available in Pakistan is not very high. Even though I know there are couple of very good hospitals in Pakistan, but they also lack some of the capabilities.