Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) has expanded into one of Pakistan’s largest public healthcare facilities, but its budget is still being allocated on the basis of an 1,100-bed hospital, according to hospital officials.
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JPMC Executive Director Prof Dr Shahid Rasool said the hospital now has around 2,200 beds following the addition of a new surgical building and three new wards.
He made the remarks while speaking at the inauguration of shock wave and laser lithotripsy treatment facilities at the hospital’s urology department.
“JPMC Karachi is now a 2,200-bed facility with the addition of a new surgical building and three new wards, but it is still being provided a budget for an 1,100-bed facility,” Dr Shahid Rasool said.
Prof Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, head of the JPMC urology department, said the hospital needed a significantly larger budget to meet the healthcare requirements of patients from Karachi, other parts of Sindh and Balochistan.
“At the current bed strength, JPMC needs double its budget to fulfil the medical needs of the people of Karachi, other cities of Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.
Dr Shahid Rasool said that he had recently approached the Sindh Finance Department regarding the issue and was informed that official records still showed JPMC as an 1,100-bed facility.
“A couple of days ago, when I approached the Sindh Finance Department, I was told that in their books JPMC is still an 1,100-bed facility, although its bed strength has increased to 2,200,” he said.
According to the hospital administration, JPMC currently has staffing levels designed for approximately 1,100 beds, despite treating more than 2,200 patients at the facility.
Dr Shahid Rasool said the hospital’s financial allocation needed to be revised according to its current capacity and patient load.
“There is an immediate need to increase the JPMC’s budget to Rs8 billion to meet our needs,” he said.
The officials said additional financial resources were necessary to support staff, medical services, equipment and other requirements associated with the hospital’s expanded capacity.
The officials made the comments during the inauguration of new shock wave and laser lithotripsy facilities in the JPMC urology department.
The facilities are intended to provide advanced treatment options for patients suffering from kidney and urinary tract stones.
The expansion of treatment services comes as JPMC continues to receive patients from Karachi as well as other parts of Sindh and neighbouring Balochistan.
