We are changing

With life moving on a faster pace than it was a decade before, Pakistan is optimistic with youth coming in the field and aiming a change. Youth parliaments and youth leadership conferences along with entrepreneurship sagas are taking more and more students on board every year. With politics-less student societies and organizations in schools, colleges and universities developing many people for the right path, we are certainly hopefull about a better Pakistan; about better we.

Located on Baba – e – Urdu road, is Karachi’s second largest public hospital called the Civil Hospital. The 2300 bed hospital is providing health to public since 1895. Running on funding by both government and NGOS, it serves to all stratas of society but most importantly the poor, who can’t afford medical care in private hospitals. There is no consultation fee, no fee for most medical procedures, and some drugs that the patients need are covered as well. It is undoubtedly the only place these poor people had to turn to in order find relief from their sickness.

Hospital also imparts both undergraduate and postgraduate medical teaching and training, through its affiliated DOW Medical College – the oldest medical college in Sindh.  DOW is no doubt the most esteemed medical institution and a dream for every pre-medical student of Karachi and Sindh. Students securing admissions here are the toppers and mostly belong to the upper middle-class of society (if it still exists), who had hardly been to a government hospital ever before they enter the college premises separated by a “wall of Berlin” from the Civil hospital boundaries. Our aim of today and hope for tomorrow are these young students of the medical college, who entered the stream in 2008 and decided a change, a change for good.

Civil hospital, due to the lack of government interest in health sector and certainly due to unjust allocation and distribution of funds from government, has a pathetic state in terms of cleanliness and what we called a hygienic environment. With walls chalked, corners red and lack of public awareness to hygiene, things are not as they were meant to be.

Civil Hospital

DOWites 14 have aimed to change the scenarios by their self initiated project S.O.C.H. (Serve Our Civil Hospital). Started through a mere discussion and status on a social networking site, SOCH intends to improve the hygiene conditions at the hospital through direct involvement of students. The project has not just enthusiasm of the young blood but a proper plan of action. Divided in five teams, the project aims to generate capital through funds raising or sponsorships. Making the most of the social networking, project is active in creating awareness among masses about a better hygiene and the service to poor has reached more than 200 volunteer strength.

The well interested students have set four stages of their work: fund raising, research / identification of attention needy areas, cleaning and awareness. The team has successfully collected a handsome amount of about one lac and twenty-five thousands and is now a days in its second stage of deciding of needs of different wards. A proper pro-forma was filled and professionalism was exhibited in the entire process, a friend shared a few days back. Much enthusiastic about the cause, these students don’t consider the lower class of society for bad condition of hospital but ignorance and lack of awareness. “They aren’t dirty because they don’t know how to keep themselves clean, they’re dirty because they have very few clothes and no money to take showers. They don’t talk loudly because they are ill mannered, they’re just used to talking that way because that’s the only way their complaints are heard by the society,” wrote Najwa Parvin, a DOWite in her blog.

S.O.C.H Logo

S.O.C.H. has acquired the services of five sweepers for a shift of eight hours from 2 to 10 pm. Three will be working in Gynae I, II and III and other two will serve the Paed wards. Project intends to prohibit pan in the wards and install proper dustbins too.  The last and the longest stage of creating awareness will be accomplished students’ wards groups visiting the patients and attendees and stressing the importance of cleanliness. They also plan to counsel janitors on their issues to a more productive outcome of their work. Sign boards will also be put up in alleys and wards to further serve the job. The project will be attended on monthly basis through funding coming in by the efforts of the student body.

S.O.C.H. as an initiative will not just serve the Civil Hospital but would certainly be adopted by students of other medical colleges and universities. The project, has triggered a change, necessary in our social environment. We as youth of today will be next leading the positions, our dedication and awareness to our true problems and their self-helped solutions will definitely take us towards a better path. There is a dire need to value such initiatives and implement them in our own frame of reference. S.O.C.H team has proved that we are changing, we are improving. A similar initiative, in every government hospital will surely change these places to much hygienic and ideal for public. Three cheers to the dedicated S.O.C.H team! Hats off to you! 🙂

AMS Civil Hospital Karachi. Mrs. Mufti giving briefing on "How can we serve Civil Hospital"

A few pictures narrating the situation at the hospital, courtesy a friend.

Food Serving Trolley

Entrance to Washroom

Dust never in the bin

Wonders of pan

A food tray

Lift but closed

Wall Chalking

Women patients waiting