K-P scrambles for medics amid exodus

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department is facing a severe shortage of doctors and it has been decided to recall all civil servant medics from the MTIs.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that the health department has sought information from ten MTI hospitals in this regard including Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar (LRH).

These hospitals have been directed to submit the information within 10 days. "Letters have been sent to LRH, Khyber-Teaching Hospital (KTH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and others including Ayub Teaching Hospital," said another official, adding that since health department faces a shortage of doctors in different cadres, health services across the province are hit hard.

"These MTI hospitals have been asked to submit information about doctors working on deputation within the given time," he said.

Last year, it was reported that the healthcare system in K-P is grappling with a crisis, primarily stemming from a severe financial crunch. This predicament has triggered a disheartening trend, as senior doctors are abandoning their positions in public sector hospitals, seeking more promising opportunities elsewhere.

LRH, the largest healthcare facility in the province, has borne the brunt of this exodus. Officials told The Express Tribune that a troubling uncertainty surrounds the healthcare system due to a lack of funds, last year's suspension of health cards, and a critical shortage of essential medicines.

The situation has prompted a growing number of senior doctors, especially those with international qualifications from the UK, US, and Ireland, to resign and move abroad.

Over the past three months, heads of vital departments, including the intensive care unit (ICU) and pediatric surgery, have tendered their resignations. The departure of these experienced professionals leaves critical departments in disarray, adversely affecting patient care.