KARACHI: A severe shortage of medical and administrative staff at Jinnah Hospital has put critically ill patients at significant risk, according to well-placed sources, as reported by ARY News on Tuesday.
The hospital is particularly facing a shortage of nursing staff in the Intensive Care Units (ICU), endangering the care of seriously ill patients.
Despite having ventilators available, the hospital lacks sufficient staff to operate the equipment. Sources reveal that only six out of ten ventilators in the medical ICU are functional, while just eight of the 24 ventilators in the surgical ICU are operational.
In the Clinical ICU, only seven out of 15 ventilators are working, and in the Neuro Trauma Unit, out of six ventilators, only one is functional, the sources added.
The medical ICU requires 58 nursing staff members, but only eight are currently on duty. Additionally, a total of 24 ventilators across the hospital remain out of service due to the lack of trained staff, including nurses and consultants.
The situation has left critically ill patients vulnerable, with no immediate solutions in sight.
Earlier this year, in June, Jinnah Hospital had to lay off 168 employees due to a shortage of funds. The affected staff, initially hired on a three-month contract during the COVID-19 pandemic, included 33 sweepers, 36 nurses, 27 ward boys, and 18 security guards.
