Modern ambulance service launched Regional programme director of People’s Primary Health Initiative (PPHI)

MIRPURKHAS, Regional programme director of People’s Primary Health Initiative (PPHI) in Mirpurkhas Riaz Ali Abbasi has said that the PPHI is providing modern medical treatment facilities to the masses without discrimination.

He was speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of Advance Life Support Ambulance service in the cardiac ward of the Civil Hospital of Mirpurkhas being launched with the cooperation of the PPHI programme here on Thursday on the hospital premises.

EDO health Dr Shafqat Hussain Dahri, civil surgeon Dr Asghar Arain and in-charge haemodialysis centre Dr Tariq Arain were present on the occasion. Mr Abbasi said: “We have involved community in spreading health facilities to the grass-roots of society.”

PPHI programme has 30 ambulances in Sindh and two of them are equipped with cardiac equipment”.

He said the donated ambulances worth Rs8 million would be used for shifting cardiac patients from Mirpurkhas to Hyderabad or Karachi hospitals on recommendation of concerned doctors.

In-charge cardiac ward of civil hospital Dr Deedar Gujjo said that no government hospital in 23 districts of Sindh had such ambulances and that trained doctors and paramedics were provided by the PPHI.

He said the cardiac ward was established in two rooms of the civil hospital in 1994 where cardiac patients of Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Tando Allahyar received initial cardiac treatments.

He deplored that despite repeated complaints the Sindh government did not approve its schedule of new establishment (SNE). He appealed to philanthropists to come forward to contribute expenses of fuel for ambulance. He said that ambulance service would be round the clock and added that this ambulance would operate under public-private partnership system.

EDO health Mirpurkhas Dr Shafqat Dahri urged the government to ensure approval of SNE of cardiac ward. He said that blood bank had been completed and it would be inaugurated within a week. He said that there was an acute shortage of doctors including specialist doctors and urged the government to provide doctors for civil and other hospitals to overcome shortage.

Juman Thebo, incharge of the PPHI Mirpurkhas district, Aftab Qureshi, president of the PMA district, and Dr Darya Khan Khaskheli were present on the occasion. Later, the chief guest inaugurated the ambulance service.