A DHQ hospital without doctors

Hospital seriously lacking in medicines, is severely short staffed.

DASKA: Despite having acquired the status of the district head quarters (DHQ) hospital, Daska Civil hospital is in the doldrums. Locals have complained that there was no doctor on duty at the hospital for over three days and all patients being admitted to the premises were being checked and treated by nursing staff.

According to a report, the hospital is also seriously lacking in medicines and is severely short staffed.

“The government’s high claim of improving health care in the districts is all hogwash. The fact of the matter is that we have no facilities and there are no qualified doctors,” said a bronchitis patient, Adeel Sarwar.

The provincial government recently spent Rs150m on the construction of a new building for the Daska DHQ hospital but according to local patients, the large chunk of money is useless given that the hospital currently has little or no qualified staff and because there is no proper waiting system. “There are no proper waiting rooms and patients wait on the steps outside the hospital,” said patient Anjum Bibi.

Three minor injured children Irfan, Akhtar and Kainaat and their family waited for six hours on the hospital steps on Thursday night as their condition become critical. The children were admitted to the emergency ward at the Daska DHQ after being seriously injured in separate accidents but there was no doctor or paramedic on the premises. Nurses at the hospital “referred” the patients to the Gujranwala DHQ as they were in critical condition. “We had to drive all the way ourselves as the three ambulances at the hospital have been out of order for ages,” said the boys father Shaukat.

The hospital management has repeatedly stated that the required funds for the repair of the ambulances and several machines are not available and that they are waiting for the Health Department to intervene and take charge of the situation. Two female patients, Hina and Shama, were also brought to the

Daska DHQ emergency and there was no one to deal with their injuries. “My daughter was treated by a nurse who knew nothing besides administering an injection and a drip,” said Shama’s mother Naseem.  Locals have staged a protest demonstration in the hospital as no doctors were on official duty. “All the doctors are busy in their private clinics near the hospital but we are being blamed for the fact that they are not here,” said a staff nurse Anum.

Locals chanted slogans against the hospital management, demanding an immediate probe against the hospital administration and blocked the main road. Medical Superintendent Daska DHQ Hospital Capt (retd) Muhammad Iqbal reached the spot but was unable to calm the raging protestors.

The hospital management said that there were no funds for repairs and that they even lacked fuel for the maintenance of the generator at the hospital. There is also no gynecologist at Daska DHQ Hospital, as two

doctors resigned from their jobs due to the prolonged shortage of maternity health facilities and staff shortage. “All deliveries are now handled by nurses. It has been three months and every single child has been delivered by a nurse rather than a qualified doctor,” said patient Salma.

Provincial health department officials and Sialkot district health department remain unable to ensure the appointment of adequate medical staff at the hospital and locals have demanded that the Punjab chief minister take immediate notice of the situation. District coordination officer ( DCO) Sialkot Mujahid Sher Dil recently visited the hospital and expressed grave concern over the deplorable state of affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2010.