Obstructing access to care: Closed gates, illegal parking a hazard for LRH patients

Admin says former is done to maintain high security, which caregivers say remains lax.

PESHAWAR: Illegal parking and closed entrances at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar have become nuisances for patients and their attendants.

LRH is one of the most frequented hospitals of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

It not only provides treatment to the residents of Peshawar, but also caters to people from all across the province who use this care centre for treatment.



According to the LRH administration, 7,000 people across the province visit outpatient departments (OPD) in Lady Reading Hospital on a daily basis.  Additionally, around 1,800 to 2,000 people with various diseases are admitted in the wards in the hospital routinely.

Closed gates

The hospital has four entrances – the administration, casualty, OPD and emergency department gates. The OPD and casualty gates have been closed for the last three months.

These gates are situated near the pharmacies and general stores where medicines and medical supplies are available. Closing these gates forces attendants to travel longer distances to get things they need for the patients.

The hospital administration has closed two gates towards the Khyber Bazaar side, said an attendant, Rehmat Ali. This has made it difficult for them to reach the pharmacy, especially if an emergency arises. Ali demanded the hospital administration open these gates so as to facilitate them to get the medicines from pharmacies without any hassle.

Parking problems

The patients and their attendants are also suffering due to illegal parking in the premises of the hospital.  Adding to that is a lack of security system, which is putting the lives of the hospital staff, patients and their attendants at risk.

A resident of the city, Muhammad Zada, who came with his patient, said due to the rush at the main gate, patients are suffering a lot. Taxis have crowded the parking lot, creating difficulty for the patients to access the hospital.

“The main entrance is closed for patients,” he said. “They have to take great pains to be careful when they are forced to criss-cross through vehicles standing in their way in the parking lot.”

Hospital’s response

LRH Spokesperson Jameel Shah told The Express Tribune the hospital has four gates, but they have closed two of them for security concerns.  He said though the medical store owners filed a case at the Peshawar High Court against the hospital administration to open these gates, an agreement could not be reached.

But lack of security at the hospital is one of their most important concerns, he said. Therefore, the hospital’s administration has decided to increase the number of security personnel. He said, “At least 40 more security personnel will be appointed in August. The total number of security personnel present at the hospital will reach 110.” The spokesperson said from August 1, under the Maintenance of Public Order, the district administration will arrest those who use hospital premises for parking. He said the hospital administration was aware of all problems its patients and their attendants faced.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.