Karachi Civil Hospital Cancer Dept understaffed

KARACHI: Cancer treatment (oncology) department at Civil Hospital of Karachi, operational since 2008 is in urgent need of qualified hematologist/ oncologist, specialised pharmacist and nurses trained in cancer management.

Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital of Karachi, Prof Said Qureishi told APP Friday that the hospital's cancer ward was upgraded as a department in 2008 and is currently managed by a consultant.

"Specialists and highly qualified professionals perhaps are little interested in joining public sector facilities," he said in reply to a question.

He said appointments for posts at CHK are made through public service commission and another post for oncologist is expected to be created once the consultant presently serving at the department is promoted.

As for nurses, he said many of those trained were found leaving the department after a year or so for greener pastures.

"Private sector has great demand for them," he said.

As for non- availability of radia-therapy facility for thousands of patients provided treatment at the CHK's oncology department, he
said paucity of space is the major hindrance.

Moreover, Karachi Institute of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN) was established with the understanding that cancers' patients at CHK would be provided the needed assistance there.

"In fact KIRAN was jointly financed by the provincial and federal governments," he said.

To another question, he said patients were also referred to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center.

He said Sindh government was providing Rs 40 to 50 million for running the cancer department of CHK.

A substantial assistance, mainly in terms of gadgets and for training of personnel were managed through the assistance of Pakistan Cancer Patients’ Welfare Society (PCPWS).

"The two- storey building soon to have an additional floor was also built with the support of the Society," he said.

Honorary General Secretary of PCPWS and In-charge, oncology department, CHK, Dr. Noor M Soomro, said 5504 patients were registered at the cancer ward/ department from 2004 to 2011.

"Contrary to the trend in other institutions we had a larger number of women patients as compared to men," he said.

Among the top 10 tumors registered at CHK, he said 19% of all cases were that of breast cancer, followed by head and neck cancer (18%), G.I.T (11 percent), Lymphoma (10%), Colorectal (9 %), FGT (6 %), Lung (five percent), S.T.S (5 %), Leukemia (4 %) and Liver and Gall Bladder (3 %).

People pertaining to Sindhi speaking community represented the higher number of patients registered at the department followed by Urdu speaking, Baloch, Pashto and Punjabi speaking communities.

These were also closely followed by Memoni, Gujrati , Kachi , Hindko, Seraiki, Bengali, Marwari, and Aghani speaking communities.

Patients turnover was not restricted to Karachi but a large number of patients also belonged to Khairpur, Hyderabad, Lasbella, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Badin, Ghotki and Nawabshah.

The number of admission increased from 1332 in 2009 to 1462 in 2010 and 1741 in 2011, said Dr. Soomro.

There were 1889 patients who were put on chemotherapy in 2009, against 1706 in 2010 and 2447 in 2011. (APP)