Electricity load shedding is common in Karachi. It is often unexpected and most of the time scheduled activity. On one hand it reflects the bad governance and socio-economic failure, on other hand it impacts on the health care services. Its major impact is visible in the provision of primary health care system in Karachi. The population of Karachi has reached about 18 millions (wikipedia). A significant number of people live in less privileged areas and belong to poor and middle class (wikipedia).
Majority of them go to the clinics of common local GPs or to small hospitals and medical centers of their own residential areas. They avail basic health care services from these providers (such as general OPD, minor surgeries, lab tests, vaccinations, medications & other usual treatments and common medical procedures including maternity services). The number of beneficiaries from these health care service providers is very much higher. As compare to big & tertiary care hospitals and government setups. It is relatively quick, easily accessible and costs less.
Performance of these clinics and small hospitals has been affected by many social and economical disorders (such as inflation, law & order situations, quackery etc). The topic of influence of electricity load shedding on medical services is comparatively new and quite neglected in studies of obstacles in health care. As all other fields, the load shedding has nervously bad effect over daily life and economy of Pakistan. It has worsened the delivery of proper and effective health care and provision of common medical services specially at middle and lower level.
1. 2- Objective of the study 1. 2. 1- To investigate bad consequences of load shedding in health care provision at the level of private clinics, medical centers and small hospitals. 1. 2. 2- To explore multiple problems appearing in result of load shedding from both ends, the health care service providers and the patients. 1. 2. 3- To find out possible solutions to resolve the problem and to avail effectively better alternatives for this deficiency. 1. 3- Methodology/Framework
Mainly the research will cover the analysis of bad impact of load shedding on private clinics, medical centers & small hospitals of Karachi by primary data (as tertiary care private & government hospitals have sufficiently enough alternate resources of electricity production during load shedding). For this purpose, two questionnaires will be prepared to get survey from both sides, i- The health care services providers of private clinics & small hospitals, and ii- The patient who get benefit from these service providers.
All possible queries will be tried to cover the related information from health service providers and the patients separately and the final combined conclusions will be discussed. Meanwhile for possible references, reviewing related articles, journals, books, magazines, by visiting libraries and websites, secondary data might be collected. 1. 4- Hypothesis The main hypothesis is “Whether the load shedding harming health sector? ” Researchable questions: 1. 4. 1- Are the performances of private clinics and small hospitals of Karachi are badly affected by load shedding? 1. 4.
2- Is the quality of health care services is decreasing by load shedding in small setups? 1. 4. 3- Is the level of patients’ satisfaction is going down due to load shedding in small hospitals and clinics of private sector? 1. 5- Limitations • As health sector & electricity provision are entirely different and separate fields, there is no sufficient attention & specific literature available considering load shedding and its impact on provision of health care services in Karachi. • Current law & order and political environment may cause deficit in open communications and cooperative primary data collection.
2- Literature Review The prolonged and frequent load shedding by the KESC has become a major threat to trade and industrial activities of Karachi and urgent steps are required to cope with this menace. The utility service providers power distribution and generation services have deteriorated, sharply, nowadays and Karachi is being plunged into darkness after every one-hour interval (PPI, 2009). The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has been accused of increasing sufferings of patients at different hospitals of Karachi by carrying out massive load shedding for several hours despite arrival of summer season.
PPI learnt on Wednesday that due to load-shedding, power generators are run from morning to noon and are switched off afternoon, causing torments to the patients (PPI, 2009), health centers and seminaries were facing serious problems due to prolonged load shedding. Despite the tall claims by the authorities of WAPDA and KESC, Karachiites were facing 12 to 14-hours daily power outage (PPI, 2008) The government should take serious and immediate steps to improve power generation in Pakistan to cope with the persisting load shedding problem that has crippled our economy, besides causing immense problems for citizen (PPI, 2010)
3- Conclusion A comprehensive health care system therefore must focus on patients’ satisfaction and the uninterrupted service provision, specially in emergency conditions. The interruptions, delays and failure of necessary electronics in small health care setups due to load shedding are badly affecting the quality of health care services. Further this problem decreasing satisfaction level and moral of patients who avail these services. Load shedding is not a major problem in bigger providers of health care (such as tertiary care hospitals) because of availability & affordability of alternate electricity arrangement.
While in small hospitals and clinics of private sector, this arrangement (generators & UPS inverters etc. ) is a question of awareness, affordability, initiatives and cost effectiveness. Not all private clinics and small hospitals of Karachi always possess capability of coping with problem of load shedding at each episode. In result it has bad effect on quality & performance of health care services and increase patients’ dissatisfaction and anxiety. Most of these serious problems are due to electric load shedding during provision of health care services every day.
4- References http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Karachi (access November 07, 2010) http://schools-eikipedia. org/wp/k/Karachi. htm (access November 07, 2010) Load shedding termed major threat to Karachi economy. PPI – Pakistan Press International, April 24, 2009 Load-shedding in Karachi torments patients. PPI – Pakistan Press International, April 1, 2009 Government urged to end load shedding in Karachi. PPI – Pakistan Press International, June 25, 2008 COPYRIGHT 2009 Asia Pulse Pty Ltd.
This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights or concerns about this content should be directed to customer service. (Hide copyright information) Load shedding crisis: Government urged to go for urgent power generation. PPI – Pakistan Press International, April 28, 2010 REMARKS: ___________________________________________________________ DR. AQUIL AHMED KHAN MBA Batch: SA-003, CP-2008 Enrolment No. 09/2008/049.