CHARSADDA, June 2: The District Headquarters Hospital, Charsadda is short of staff and equipment due to the successive governments’ negligence.

On July 15, 1988 when Charsadda was given the status of the district, a local hospital was turned into the DHQ Hospital and upgraded it to category B.

After the development, the 1.8 million people of Charsadda thought they would no more need to take patients to Peshawar and other parts of the country.

However, they proved wrong as the hospital failed to serve them due to lack of medical facilities and staff.

The hospital has seven BPS-19 sanctioned posts of doctors but three of them are lying vacant.

Also, the BPS-18 posts of anesthetists, pathologists, gynaecologists, nephrologists, cardiologists, chest specialists and psychologists and one of the deputy medical superintendent, while the BPS-17 positions, including one of dental surgeon, nine of medical officers and seven of senior medical officers, has long awaited appointment.

The operation theatre and laboratory are in a shambles.

Machinery and equipment at both departments are out of order and thus, forcing most patients to go to private hospitals or clinics or government health centres in Peshawar.

When contacted, DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mohammad Khan Afridi said though he had assumed the charge of the office a month ago, he had initiated the process of the early filling vacant posts and getting faulty equipment repaired.

He admitted shortage of doctors and other staff at the hospital but said he was in contact with the health department for the filling of the vacant posts.

Dr Afridi said though the hospital needed up-grade to category A, it was regrettable that even the facilities, which were available at category B hospitals, were absent from the premises.

He also said the new block of the hospital needed electricity, gas, water and even parking lot.

The medical superintendent also said he was not satisfied with security arrangements at the hospital.

“We need deployment of around 60 security guards on the premises for the protection of staff and visitors,” he said.

Local residents expressed the hope that the new government in the province would ensure provision of best possible health facilities to them by providing the DHQ Hospital with proper staff and equipment.