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Despite growing into one of the largest health facilities in Pakistan with the addition of hundreds of more beds, Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) is still being provided with a budget for an 1100-bed hospital, making it impossible to meet people’s medical needs, the hospital’s officials said on Monday.
“JPMC Karachi is now a 2200-bed facility with the addition of a new surgical building and three new wards, but it’s still being provided a budget for an 1100-bed facility,” JPMC Executive Director Prof Dr Shahid Rasool revealed at the inauguration of shock wave and laser lithotripsy treatment facilities at the hospital’s urology department.
“At the current bed strength, the JPMC needs double its budget to fulfil the medical needs of the people of Karachi, of other cities of Sindh, and of Balochistan.” Prof Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, the urology department’s head said.
“A couple of days ago, when I approached the Sindh Finance Department, I was told that in their books the JPMC is still an 1100-bed facility, although its bed strength has increased to 2200. At the moment, we have staff for 1100 beds, while over 2200 patients are treated at this facility.”
He further explained that there is an immediate need to increase the JPMC’s budget to Rs8 billion to meet our needs.”
