Pakistan: Poor hygiene, unsafe water expose Sindh’s hospital crisis

Patients seeking treatment at government hospitals in Karachi and other parts of Sindh continue to encounter worsening healthcare conditions, as contaminated drinking water, unhygienic washrooms, overflowing sewage and insufficient medical facilities highlight major deficiencies in the province’s public healthcare system, according to a report by The Express Tribune.

Patients seeking treatment at government hospitals in Karachi and other parts of Sindh continue to encounter worsening healthcare conditions, as contaminated drinking water, unhygienic washrooms, overflowing sewage and insufficient medical facilities highlight major deficiencies in the province’s public healthcare system, according to a report by The Express Tribune. Despite significant annual budget allocations to the Sindh Health Department, public hospitals continue to grapple with inadequate sanitation, deteriorating infrastructure and the absence of essential facilities. Several district hospitals reportedly lack reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration plants, compelling patients and their attendants to buy drinking water from outside.

Even hospitals equipped with filtration systems allegedly fail to ensure their regular maintenance or timely replacement. Water storage tanks are also reportedly poorly maintained, while nearly 90 per cent of hospitals lack covered waiting areas for patients' attendants, The Express Tribune reported. Rizwana Khatoon, a resident of UP Mor in North Karachi, described her experience at Sindh Government New Karachi Hospital, where her daughter was admitted with a high fever. She said the facility did not provide sufficient drinking water and that the washrooms were in an extremely unhygienic condition, with inadequate water, soap and handwashing arrangements. She also complained about missing taps, bedbugs, insects and unpleasant smells inside the wards. According to her, cleaning personnel carried out only one basic round of cleaning each day.

At Sindh Government Saudabad Hospital, another patient, Ghulam Shah, questioned the utilisation of public funds as patients continued to face a shortage of essential facilities. He alleged that water storage tanks were not properly maintained despite regular tanker supplies, while patients were often compelled to purchase medicines and drinking water from private sources. He also expressed concerns over the poor quality of food, the conduct of hospital staff and insufficient security arrangements during nighttime hours, the report stated. Tariq Fareedi, a patient at Sindh Government Liaquatabad Hospital, also highlighted the lack of clean drinking water and adequate information facilities. He pointed out that elderly patients and visitors arriving from distant locations frequently faced difficulties finding registration counters, doctors and hospital wards due to the absence of information desks and proper directional signboards.

Although various hospital services, including sanitation and food distribution, have been outsourced, patients continue to report dissatisfaction with the quality of these services. Complaints have also emerged regarding preferential treatment allegedly given to influential individuals, while ordinary patients struggle to access basic medical assistance. The persistent shortcomings have raised concerns over healthcare administration, the utilisation of public funds and accountability within Sindh's healthcare system. The report emphasised that without proper supervision, transparent expenditure and urgent improvements in sanitation, drinking water facilities and patient services, government hospitals will continue to impose hardships on the very people they are intended to serve, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)