Insulin shortage hits Wana hospital

PESHAWAR:

The District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Wana, South Waziristan tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, has been grappling with a chronic shortage of insulin for diabetic patients, stretching over several months.

Operated under a public-private partnership, this scarcity has significantly burdened the vulnerable patients in need.

Local residents and patients in need have issued fervent appeals to both the provincial government and the K-P health department, urging immediate intervention. Unable to afford insulin from private pharmacies, the impoverished populace faces immense challenges accessing essential medication.

Read: Critical medicines shortage grips K-P

Meanwhile, K-P’s healthcare infrastructure continues to reel under a profound financial crisis, exacerbating the scarcity of crucial medicines. Official sources indicate an urgent plea from the Director General of Health Services for the release of Rs9 billion in emergency funding.

In a letter penned by Dr. Shaukat Ali, the Director General of Health, the provincial government is implored to address the critical shortage of vital supplies across hospitals. The letter underscores alarming deficiencies in anti-rabies vaccines, immunoglobulins, and emergency medications, with even anti-snake bite injections unavailable.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th 2024.