Sukkur opens 50-Bed trauma centre


SMBB Institute of Trauma signs MoUs with local institutions; facility expected to reduce referrals to Karachi and strengthen services across northern Sindh

IV Report

SUKKUR: Sindh's efforts to build an integrated trauma care network reached another milestone on Friday as Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated a 50-bed Trauma & Emergency Response Centre (T&ERC) established by the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma (SMBBIT) in Sukkur.

The facility, established at Civil Hospital Sukkur in collaboration with Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, is expected to improve access to specialised trauma and emergency services in northern Sindh while reducing the burden of referrals to Karachi.

Ahead of the inauguration, Executive Director of the SMBB Institute of Trauma, Karachi, Dr Muhammad Sabir Memon, accompanied by his team, visited the centre and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Principal Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Prof Dr Saleh Mohammad Channa and Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital Sukkur Dr Ahmad Mujtaba Memon to strengthen institutional collaboration in trauma and emergency care.

Official sources said the Sukkur facility is the institute's second regional satellite centre after Larkana and forms part of the Sindh government's vision of establishing a province-wide trauma care network.

Dr Pechuho formally inaugurated the centre during a ceremony attended by MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Sindh Government spokesperson and Mayor Sukkur Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh, Commissioner Sukkur Abid Saleem Qureshi, SMBBIT Executive Director Dr Muhammad Sabir Memon, senior health officials and representatives of local healthcare institutions.

Following the inauguration, the minister inspected the emergency wards, X-ray unit and minor operation theatre, directing officials to ensure uninterrupted provision of quality healthcare services.

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Saleh Mohammad Channa said Civil Hospital Sukkur receives approximately 6,000 outpatient visits daily and is facing financial constraints due to insufficient budgetary allocations. He urged the provincial government to provide additional funds for both the hospital and medical college.

Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh said the establishment of specialised institutions across Sindh reflected the government's efforts to expand access to modern healthcare services.

MNA Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah described Sukkur as a strategic trade and transport hub linking Sindh with Punjab and Balochistan, noting that increasing traffic volumes and road accidents had heightened the need for a dedicated trauma facility.

"The Trauma & Emergency Response Centre will play a vital role in providing timely and effective treatment to victims of road accidents and other emergencies," he said.

Dr Pechuho acknowledged shortages of teaching faculty and medical staff at Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College and directed the relevant authorities to submit a summary for additional appointments in consultation with the Chief Minister.

She said the Sukkur trauma centre would be expanded in the future in view of the city's central location and growing healthcare needs.

OUTSOURCING: Addressing media representatives, the health minister said the radiology department at Civil Hospital Sukkur, including CT scan and MRI services, would be outsourced to improve maintenance and service delivery. She added that air-conditioning facilities had become increasingly important in hospitals amid rising temperatures associated with climate change.

During the visit, Dr Pechuho also launched the anti-polio booster dose campaign by administering polio drops to children.

Health officials said the new trauma centre would significantly enhance emergency preparedness and trauma response capacity in northern Sindh, bringing specialised care closer to communities that previously depended on tertiary hospitals in Karachi.

(With inputs from an official handout issued by the Directorate of Information, Sukkur.) 

Photos: SID Sukkur

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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