Fafen report: Basic Health Units lack equipment

ISLAMABAD: After visiting 132 Basic Health Units (BHU), in 85 districts, FAFEN monitors find that most units lack the most basic medical equipments.

In contrast to the population, the BHUs were short of stretchers, wheelchairs, sterilisers, oxygen tents, labour rooms and mini laboratories. They were not even equipped enough to backup power failures and some did not even have a Sui gas connection.

Although the number of female staff members attending to female patients was satisfactory, some BHUs lacked trained medical staff to treat TB patients. The percentage of how many were linked through road and were in proper buildings with boundary walls was also worrisome.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2012.