Upgraded health units await medics

RAWALPINDI:

The District Health Authority (DHA) has failed to appoint field doctors despite the revamp of 22 Basic Health Units (BHUs) and seven Rural Health Centres (RHCs) out of 100. In many health facilities, doctors are not available and health workers are treating patients. The approved posts of male and female Medical Officers (MOs) have been lying vacant.

Various primary health centres have been deprived of doctors despite sanctioned posts of female and male MOs and the treatment process has been left at the mercy of health workers.

BHUs at Kasran, Meena Satal and Thathi in Gujjar Khan tehsil have no MOs. The single post of Women Medical Officer is also vacant in Roller Health Center Daulatala in Gujar Khan, while there are three Medical Officer posts in Rural Health Center Kontrella and two are vacant.

A post of MO is vacant in the second RHC in Kontrella, while two MOs are available against three posts in the third RHC. There are two MOs against three MO posts in the trauma centre of Gujjar Khan. RHCs at Kahuta Mawara, Kotli Sattian Santh Sarola also lack MOs.

There are five MOs against six posts in Kotli Sattian Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. Phagwari RHC Murree has two MOs against three posts. Tehsil headquarters Hospital Murree has nine MOs against 11 posts. There is no MO at the Karhahi Mayal BHU in Rawalpindi.

DHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Asif Arbab Niazi says the appointments will be made against the vacant posts in BHUs and RHCs, indicating the issuance of orders by the competent authority. The authority will ensure that no post of doctor remains vacant in any health facility so that the patients can receive treatment by qualified doctors.