MITHI, March 17: All 14 doctors recently transferred to Thar hospitals and basic health units from different parts of the province have not turned up to join duty here.

The transfer orders were given by provincial health secretary following reports of serious shortage of doctors in these hospitals.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh health department, Dr Shamim Akhtar, senior woman medical officer (WMO), SGM, Liaquatabad (Karachi); Dr Farhat Shamim, WMO, RMC, Nasarpur (Hyderabad District), and Dr Najma Mansoor, WMO, Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas, have been transferred and posted at the Civil Hospital Mithi.

Meanwhile, the WMO, RMC, Jhuddo, Dr Padma, and the WMO, taluka hospital Matli, Dr Safia, have been transferred and posted as WMOs at the taluka hospital Diplo. Whereas Dr Khalida Qazi, WMO, GGS Piggat (Hyderabad District), and Dr Yasmin Memon, WMO, Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas, have been transferred and posted at the taluka hospital Nagarparkar.

Apart from it, Dr Sultan, WMO, SDM, Liaquatabad, Karachi, and Dr Urmila Kumari, WMO, LUM, and RS, MPL, Hyderabad, have also been transferred and posted at the RHC, Chhachhro.

Besides these nine WMOs, Dr M. Mushtaq Arain, medical officer, Civil Hospital Karachi, has been transferred and posted at the Civil Hospital Mithi.

Four doctors — Dr Dasrat Rathi, SMO, LUM and RS, MPL, Hyderabad; Dr Anwaruddin, RMO, THPL, Digri; Dr Liaquat Ali Rahoomo, MO, LUM, and RS, MPL, Hyderabad; and Dr Attaullah, MO, CM, Karachi — have also been transferred and posted at the taluka hospital Diplo.

The executive district officer, Health, Tharparkar, had reported to health department authorities that around 37 doctors and WMOs had fled and had been found absent from duty at various basic health units and hospitals of Thar since the last couple of months. He had further reported that about 90 posts of doctors including 29 posts of WMOs had been lying vacant since long as a result of which patients in Thar had been suffering.

On being asked as to how many of the 14 doctors/women medical officers transferred to Thar had resumed duty, the sources at the EDO (health), Tharparkar, disclosed that none of them had so far.

It is widely believed that most of these doctors having domiciles of Tharparkar District were reluctant to serve in Thar and were trying to pull a few strings to get their transfer orders cancelled.

SNAKE-BITE CASES: Snake-bite cases are on the rise in Thar with the onset of summer as already 60 snake-bite patients have been admitted for treatment at various hospitals of the district during the last two weeks.