Haripur trauma centre keeps patients on edge
PHOTO: FILE
Patients visiting the sole trauma centre in Haripur said that they were being turned back due to dysfunctional x-ray machines as well as basic supplies, compelling them to seek remedy from private healthcare facilities or the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.
The shortage of supplies included tetanus injections with patients claiming they had to purchase it from medical stores to get the shot.
Meanwhile, there have been complaints that privately recruited staff was working alongside government employees at the trauma centre.
A spokesperson for the trauma centre told The Express Tribune that the x-ray machine was dysfunctional but had since been fixed.
The malfunction was caused after a lightning strike.
It was restored with the assistance of Chinese engineers and the hospital's technical team, the spokesperson added.
“IT team members Walid Khan and Muhammad Ayaz along with Chinese engineers successfully rectified the machine fault, restoring manual x-ray services for the trauma center's patients,” said Dr Mohsin Raza Turabi, the medical superintendent at the DHQ Hospital.
He said that a committee had been formed to address the concerns raised by patients. Chief Engineer Electric Abu Turab would lead the committee, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2023.