Short supply: Hazara’s residents up in arms over lack of doctors

DHO admits not a single doctor has been posted in three districts of the division.

ABBOTABAD:

Residents from three districts of Hazara Division have voiced their reservations against the Health Secretariat Peshawar’s decision to not appoint a single doctor in Haripur, Abbottabad and Torghar districts, an insider familiar with the matter revealed on Thursday.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said the health secretariat had appointed 211 doctors for the entire province on a contract basis in October and posted them in various districts of K-P.



No explanation has been provided for why doctors have not been posted in Haripur, Abbottabad and Torghar, the source added.

Doctors in all three districts have been in short supply and it has become difficult to address the health needs of the growing population.

As a result, patients have not received proper medical treatment in both rural and urban areas, the insider said.

“Our hospitals are facing a shortage of over 100 doctors in Abbottabad alone,” he said. “Torghar district is far behind other districts where only a few doctors are catering to the needs of 500,000 people.”

Haripur is facing a shortage of doctors but the issue has failed to attract the attention of the political leadership despite the fact that it is one of the few districts which contributes billions to the national and provincial exchequer.

Although the district health officers of Abbottabad and Torghar were not available for comment, Haripur DHO Dr Zakim Khan has confirmed that the health authorities have not posted a single doctor in all three districts even though there are a number of vacant posts.

“Nearly 40 doctors are required for 41 basic health units (BHU) while 23 are required for the rural health centres (RHC), tehsil headquarters (THQ) and Type D hospitals,” he said.

He added the district headquarters hospitals also need over 15 doctors.

According to Khan, People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) is currently sharing the burden at the BHU level.

However, this scheme will eventually run its course and BHUs in the district would be without doctors, he added.

“The health secretariat’s attitude is both unfair and discriminatory,” said Naseem Awan, an activist of Hazara Qaumi Mahaz.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2014.