Understaffed: In Chitral, 35 doctors against 133 posts

Govt urged to fill vacant posts immediately.

CHITRAL:

Chitral might have hospitals, but no doctors. A group of local denizens on Friday urged the provincial government to fill up vacancies in hospitals in Chitral as soon as possible.

Patients have been facing numerous problems due to shortage of doctors in various government hospitals and basic health units (BHUs) in the district, where almost 100 posts of doctors are lying vacant, according to sources.

Chitral Executive District Officer Health (EDO) Dr Sher Qayyum said there were 35 doctors serving in the district, against 133 sanctioned posts —five posts of BS-19, 42 posts of BS-18 and 86 posts of BPS-17.

He said as many as 20 BHUs were handed over to People’s Primary Health Initiative (PPHI), a government project, to effectively utilize its services.

However, only five posts of medical officers have been filled by PPHI, while 15 BHUs are still without doctors.

The posts of female medical officers, medical officers, eye specialists, gynaecologists, anaesthetists, cardiologists, children specialists, chest specialist, ear, nose and throat surgeons, radiologist, dermatologists, surgical specialists and female dental surgeons are vacant in these hospitals.

According to the quota for Chitral, there are six seats available in different medical colleges of K-P, and around 60 doctors have completed their MBBS from Chitral domicile. However, most of them are not willing to serve in Chitra, according to sources.

The people of Chitral have appealed to the chief minister and provincial health minister to fill these posts immediately, saying that doctors from Chitral should be obligated to serve at least two years in the district.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2011.