FAISALABAD, Oct 1: The finance department has not yet released funds to the City District Government Faisalabad to recruit 563 more paramedics in basic health units (BHUs) approval of which has been given by the health department two years ago.

As many as 168 BHUs are working in the district where against 1,848 posts, including that of 168 medical officers, LHVs, dispensers, only 1,117 employees are working while the remaining 563 posts are lying vacant.

The Punjab Rural Support Programme (PRSP) looks after the affairs of BHUs to provide health facilities to the rural population.

People are suffering a lot for lack of proper facilities and staff concerned in the BHUs. The district administration is also facing numerous problems like cleanliness owing to the growing number of patients.

Following the transfer of the BHUs to the PRSP, the number of outdoor patients have increased, claimed Nasim Sadiq, district support manager of the PRSP. He said the number of patients was increasing day by day. He said it was getting difficult for the BHUs to cater to the growing number of patients.

He said the situation would improve after the filling of the vacant posts in the BHUs.