Karachi: The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), Sindh, has expressed serious concern over critical staff shortages at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), one of the largest public hospitals in the country, during a monitoring visit aimed at evaluating patient care, medicine availability, and budgetary issues.
During the visit, JPMC Executive Director Dr. Shahid Rasul briefed the NCHR delegation, revealing that the hospital urgently needs around 3,000 additional staff — including doctors, nurses, paramedics, technicians, and support personnel — to meet patient needs effectively.
He shared insights into the hospital’s operational challenges and efforts to maintain services despite financial and human resource constraints.
Dr. Irfan Sidiqee, head of the Emergency Department, provided an overview of emergency services, highlighting the mismatch between patient inflow and sanctioned staffing.
He noted that a dedicated treatment space has also been established for transgender patients. The NCHR team also visited the Anti-Rabies Vaccination Unit and the ‘Unknown Patients’ Ward, which accommodates individuals brought in without identification or family support.
While commending the hospital administration for continuing services under pressure, NCHR Sindh said it will incorporate findings from this visit into a set of formal recommendations aimed at strengthening public healthcare delivery across the province.
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