Chandka Hospital Larkana Faces Administrative Crisis Over Finance Director Vacancy

University selection board sent three names to Sindh Chief Minister for final appointment after interviews; decision remains pending.

LARKANA: Administrative affairs and several healthcare services at the 1,550-bed Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) complex have been severely affected by the absence of a finance director, leaving thousands of patients facing difficulties.

The post has remained vacant since July 17, when Finance Director Kazim Bhutto completed his three-year tenure. No new finance director has been appointed so far. According to sources, no other administrative officer has been authorised to exercise the finance director’s drawing and disbursing powers, resulting in a disruption of routine financial transactions and day-to-day operations at the hospital complex.

The Chandka Medical College Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital for Women, CMC Children Hospital, CMC Teaching Hospital and Casualty Department provide healthcare services to thousands of patients from across Larkana division and other surrounding areas.

CMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Bijarani, who administers most of the healthcare facilities at the complex, also does not have drawing and disbursing authority.

According to a professor of orthopaedics, the situation has deteriorated to the extent that even blood tests are not being conducted at the pathology laboratory. Patients awaiting surgery and their attendants are being asked to purchase essential items from outside, he said.

He added that medicines and other required supplies were often unavailable when indents were sent to the hospital store, while store staff were reportedly reluctant to even mark items as “not available” on the indent forms.

Hospital sources said routine tests had not been conducted at the pathology laboratories for around one and a half months, with even urine tests unavailable. The sources said the situation was similar across all five pathology laboratories at the complex.

The X-ray department is also facing a shortage of X-ray plates, while medico-legal X-rays are being conducted outside the hospital.

Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Bijarani confirmed the situation and said the relevant higher authorities had already been informed. He expressed hope that a new finance director would be appointed soon.

He also disclosed that the MRI section at Chandka Hospital had remained dysfunctional since 2016.

According to sources, the hospital administration is currently arranging some essential items through local purchases. However, concerns have also been raised over who would be responsible for clearing the bills if the incoming finance director refuses to endorse expenditures incurred before his appointment.

Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University Vice Chancellor and Hospital Management Committee Chairperson Prof Dr Nusrat Shah said the committee was not authorised to appoint a finance director.

She said the university’s selection board had conducted interviews on the pattern of a search committee and forwarded three names to the Sindh chief minister. The final appointment was the prerogative of the chief minister, she said, adding that the matter was still pending.

Munwar Mangi, former general secretary of the Pakistan Paramedical Staff Association, CMCH chapter, said retirement and pension cases of employees were also awaiting the finance director’s signatures.

According to him, around 100 retirement and death-claim cases are currently pending.

Pakistan Medical Association spokesman Dr Fazal Qadir Khoso expressed concern over the situation in a video message, saying matters relating to drawing and disbursing had come to a halt.

He urged the Sindh chief minister, health minister and health secretary to fill the vacant post of finance director without further delay.

Prof Dr Sikandar Mughal, president-elect of the Larkana PMA, said drawing and disbursing powers should, in principle, rest with the medical superintendent to prevent such administrative disruptions.

He also suggested that the government should discontinue the practice of appointing non-medical professionals as finance directors.