Staff shortage: At Kabal hospital, everyone is a doctor

Patients face the dilemma of getting treated by grade four staff or leave.

SWAT:

Thousands of patients are at the helm of a problem that persists at the Kabal Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital. While the hospital faces a shortage of doctors, many patients are either forced to consult non-specialists or simply leave without being treated.

Though the 50-bed hospital is equipped with basic facilities but shortage of medical staff has forced a population of over 600,000 to travel to the distant Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital to get check-ups. There is only one medical specialist and one child specialist at the hospital.

“This (THQ) is the only hospital where patients come in from all over the tehsil but due to a shortage of doctors, they are relocated to Saidu Sharif. The long distance is a challenge especially for emergency cases. Many patients have died on the way,” said Abdul Salam, a journalist.



Recently, more than 20 victims of an accident were brought to the hospital. “There was no doctor in the emergency care ward and some of the critical patients died of injuries,” he added.

More often, the grade-four staff at the hospital perform the duties of medical specialists. “Some injured people were brought in and dressed by grade-four staff as there was no doctor,” Jalil Ahmad, a local told The Express Tribune.

Hospital sources maintain the number of patients visiting the hospital on daily basis, is the highest among all of the local hospitals. “We have a daily average of 400 to 500 outpatient department patients and the facilities to treat them. The only problem we are facing is the shortage of doctors, which is why patients complain,” said Irfanullah, a staff member at the hospital. He added that the hospital needs medical officers, lady medical officers and paramedics on priority basis to address the issues.



“We have an electrocardiography machine but no technicians to operate it,” he said.

The hospital was upgraded to Category D during the previous government but its requirements have not been fulfilled. The hospital remains closed on Sundays.

Meanwhile, Rahmat Ali Khan, member provincial assembly, said the issue has been forwarded to the chief minister. “I am hopeful that it will soon be sorted out,” he said. Khan added he had asked the Health Ministry to sanction more doctors in the hospital but they were not ready to do so.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2013.