Public Accounts Committee orders inquiry into faulty diagnostic machines at KMC hospitals

Karachi: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly expressed strong dissatisfaction with the state of healthcare facilities at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) hospitals during a recent meeting. The PAC was informed that several essential diagnostic machines, including X-ray, ultrasound, ECG, and CT scan machines, had been non-functional in KMC-run hospitals for years, causing significant hardship for patients.

During the inspection, the PAC learned that the X-ray machine at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital had been out of order since 2022, only recently being repaired. PAC chairman Nisar Khuhro directed the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) to investigate non-functional diagnostic equipment across all hospitals in Sindh and submit a report within a month.

PAC member Taha Ahmed highlighted the broader issue of a lack of technical staff, which had forced patients to seek private lab tests. KMC Municipal Commissioner Abrar Ahmed Jafar informed the PAC that 13 hospitals were under KMC jurisdiction, with the mayor personally visiting hospitals to ensure service provision. The PAC also took up another audit objection regarding the absence of a biometric attendance system and ordered its immediate installation, along with the verification of educational degrees of the over 10,000 KMC employees.