Residential bungalows have been occupied for several years by officials, including assistant commissioner, assistant political agent, tehsildar, a bank manager and an official of the local government.
Fourteen residential bungalows in District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Lakki Marwat are currently occupied by district and political administration officials. The bungalows were originally reserved for senior doctors, and the hostel for hospital staff.
An official requesting anonymity said the residential bungalows have been occupied for several years by officials, including assistant commissioner, assistant political agent, tehsildar, a bank manager and an official of the local government.
Due to a shortage of doctors and lack of facilities at the hospital, people are taking their patients to Bannu or Peshawar instead, said the official.
He also said one of two tube wells installed in the hospital is defected while the other is not enough to meet drinking requirements.
The official claimed the government has not provided maintenance and repair funds to the hospital for the last seven years. The posts of specialist doctors and other staff have been vacant for quite some time, while some doctors were not attending to their duties, he added.
A local elder, Sarfaraz Khan, said people suffer greatly due to a lack of facilities and unavailability of doctors at the hospital. He said they have to take patients to Peshawar, which is very time consuming. Khan said some patients die on the way while ailments of other patients aggravate.
DHQ Hospital, Lakki Marwat Medical Superintendent Dr Rasheed Ahmed said they have notified the deputy commissioner, district police officer Lakki Marwat and commissioner Bannu about the illegal occupation of residential bungalows in the hospital, but no action has been taken so far.
Ahmed also confirmed the government has not provided any funds for the last seven years. Addressing the water issue, he said the government should either install another tube well or repair the defective one as hospital staff and patients are suffering from a shortage of drinking water.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2013.
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