LAHORE: Delays in procurement of oxygen cylinders, lack of adherence to safety protocols have caused the deaths
Where the Punjab government claims to be spending billions of rupees on the health sector, nurseries at public hospitals remain in a deplorable state. With air conditioning units dysfunctional, ventilators out-of-order, oxygen short in supply, and specialist doctors off-duty, infants in need of extra care are rarely given a chance at life.
According to data obtained by The Express Tribune, out of a total of 4,572 hospitals across Punjab, only about 270 healthcare facilities have functional nurseries; the rest lack such facilities. As a result, newborns must be transferred, sometimes far away, to other government or private hospitals often leading to fatal delays.
Reportedly, more than 270 newborn babies have died in the nurseries of hospitals established in different cities of Punjab due to lack of timely medical assistance, lack of oxygen and fire due to short circuit. Tragic incidents reported from Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Okara, Bhakkar, Layyah, and Vehari have shown high rates of newborn deaths resulting from oxygen shortages and fires caused by electrical short circuits.
For instance, several ill-fated couples lost their newborn babies to a fire that broke out in the nursery of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. “A faulty air-conditioner plug was repeatedly sparking. Despite repeated complaints, it wasn’t fixed, and the resulting fire killed several babies including ours,” recalled one bereaved couple, who urged the government to improve the conditions at nurseries and implement strict monitoring to prevent future tragedies.
Another terrible incident occurred in Pakpattan, where 20 newborn babies died after oxygen cylinders arrived too late. Though the Medical Superintendent and other doctors were suspended ten days later with legal action taken against the health authority, the cases were later dropped. Families claim their children were lost, yet they received no meaningful assistance.
According to Dr Naveed Akbar Hotiana, Professor at the Fatima Jinnah Medical University, nurseries serve as links to the gynaecology wards since infants born with complications such as premature birth, respiratory distress, or infections are first stabilized in the nursery before being reunited with their mothers.
“High patient loads at large hospitals strain nursery conditions, especially in smaller facilities where basic services are lacking. Punjab operates two types of nurseries: out-born nurseries, which treat infants born elsewhere and in-born nurseries, which handle babies delivered at the hospital. Most often, babies born prematurely or those facing complications in breathing require nursery care. While major hospitals have modern nurseries, smaller hospitals often lack them, contributing to higher neonatal mortality,” said Dr Hotiana. On the other hand, a vendor supplying oxygen gas to public hospitals revealed that if payments for their bills were made on time, the delivery of gas could be carried out promptly. “Bills often remain unpaid for three to six months, which affects the supply chain. At times, payments are delayed for up to a year, yet we continue to supply.
However, we too, have to pay others, and the system can only function smoothly if the government pays the dues on time,” said the vendor. Conversely, a spokesperson for the Punjab government confirmed that during the past year, several unfortunate incidents have been reported at hospital nurseries across different cities of Punjab. “In this regard, the government has suspended doctors and registered cases against the relevant health authorities. Financial assistance has also been provided to the families of the victims. Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz personally visited these cities and took direct action. The government is implementing a comprehensive policy aimed at improving nursery facilities at public hospitals,” said the official.
Article (Opinion) published in the Express Tribune on 26th July 2024.
