Sindh [Pakistan] April 13 : Sindh's largest paediatric facility, the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), has reportedly been functioning for years with acute staff shortages, as around 800 positions remain vacant despite a massive influx of patients, according to a report by The Express Tribune (TET).
Doctors, nurses, and paramedical personnel are working under intense strain, posing significant challenges to delivering timely medical care. Surgeries are being scheduled with delays of three to six months, while essential equipment such as MRI and CT scan machines often remain non-operational. Even the lift used for transporting children to upper floors is frequently out of service.
As noted in the TET report, the emergency department has been outsourced under a public-private partnership model.
Although the hospital has a capacity of 500 beds, it is currently handling over 2,000 children at a time, forcing three to four patients to share a single bed. In the absence of prompt treatment, economically disadvantaged families are left with no option but to either turn to expensive private healthcare or endure long waiting periods.
Parents recounted their prolonged distress. A father from Thatta shared that his four-year-old son, suffering from a urinary tract condition, was advised surgery following an MRI. "The machine remained non-functional for weeks, forcing multiple visits. Once the test was finally conducted, the surgery was scheduled three months later, leaving my child in pain for an extended period," he said, as cited in the TET report.
Another parent from PIB Colony stated that his two-year-old daughter, born with a cleft lip and palate, was given a surgery date three months after completing laboratory tests. "Private hospitals demanded unaffordable charges. When the surgery was eventually carried out at NICH, the hospital did not provide the required medicines," the parent said, according to the report.
At NICH, out of 89 sanctioned doctor positions, only 25 are currently filled, leaving 64 vacant. Similarly, 80 out of 200 approved nursing posts remain unoccupied, while 250 of the 410 paramedical positions are also vacant. The TET report further highlighted that recruitment has not taken place for several years due to legal hurdles.