April 21, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1429

DERA GHAZI KHAN, April 20: Even though the city is proud to be the hometown of Punjab Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khosa, this political development has not brought about any positive change in the ailing medical facility called District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Dawn has learnt.

The dialysis centre and the intensive care unit at the hospital need immediate attention of the authorities as the previous governments did not take any measure to rehabilitate them.

The dialysis center has been running on donations of the patients since its inception, some four years ago. The hospital treats up to 1,100 patients every day, most of them in the Outpatient Department. The dialysis centre receives over a dozen patients every day but can treat only five patients due to the shortage of equipment and staff. Frequent power failures interrupt the dialysis process while the alternative power supply system (through batteries) is unreliable.

Dialysis machines are old and have old filtration parts which can be dangerous for patients.

Dawn observed that in the hospital, every second patient was of hepatitis.

DHQ Medical Superintendent Dr Sadiq told Dawn the hospital needed new dialysis machines and more medicines because of the growing number of patients. Dr Sadiq disclosed the centre was short of doctors and staff.

Big industrialist units like DG Cement Factory and Oil and Gas Development Company in Taunsa could have adopted the centre but they have not shown any intention to undertake such welfare project.Dr Sadiq says the centre is being running on Allah‘s will as it has no strength to treat the patient. He added the newly-built intensive care unit was being used as a store as in the absence of staff and equipment, the unit could only be used as store. He said the district government had not provided funds to hire staff and its equipment worth Rs150 million. The hospital is short of 26 doctors, 78 sanitary workers and 77 nurses.

The district coordination officer was not available for comment. — Tariq Saeed Birmani