Miranshah DHQ Hospital plagued by neglect

Doctor absenteeism, medicine shortages spark public anger in North Waziristan

MIRANSHAH:

The District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Miranshah, the only major government-run healthcare facility serving North Waziristan, has become a symbol of mismanagement and neglect, triggering growing public anger and protests over deteriorating medical services.

Residents say the absence of basic healthcare facilities at the hospital has created serious risks for patients across the district.

According to hospital sources, doctors frequently remain absent from the Outpatient Department (OPD) despite fixed duty hours, while several key medical officers have been on prolonged leave. As a result, dozens of patients reportedly return home every day without receiving treatment.

Citizens complain that if doctors do not consider it necessary to attend duty, the hospital's role is reduced to little more than a building. Hospital officials further disclosed that the supply of free medicines has been almost completely suspended for the past two years.

The store in-charge attributed the shortage to the government's failure to provide medicines, forcing poor patients to purchase expensive drugs from private pharmacies. Many patients, unable to afford these medicines, are left without completing their treatment.

The situation in the emergency ward is described as equally alarming. Attendants of patients told reporters that no medicines are provided by the hospital and that all drugs must be purchased from outside. Patients admitted to wards and their families allege that doctors do not conduct timely rounds, while nursing staff often delay administering injections and medicines. One attendant said patients remain in severe pain for hours with no one to attend to them.

Residents argue that such substandard healthcare in a sensitive and underdeveloped region like North Waziristan amounts to a cruel disregard for human life. Efforts to obtain a response from the DHQ Hospital administration proved unsuccessful, as no official was available at the office.

Meanwhile, the district administration said it has conducted multiple surprise inspections to check absenteeism of doctors and staff. Officials claimed attendance reports were prepared during each visit and formally sent to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department.