PESHAWAR, Aug 31: The sole plastic surgery unit in the province has been unable to provide treatment to the people as senior surgeons have resigned after the introduction of institution-based practice (IBP) by the government.

Not only the patients, but the ward at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), is facing the threats of de- recognition by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan (CPSP), thus putting at stake the training of doctors desiring to do specialization in plastic surgery.

The plastic surgery unit was created in 1984 at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).  The first plastic surgeon of the province joined the health department in 1992, but there was no specific ward and the general surgeons in the hospital were reluctant to attend them.

In the wake of increasing need of the plastic surgery, a plastic surgeon was allowed one bed each in the surgical unit and the ENT, who along with one registrar looked after the patients.

After the commissioning of the HMC, a separate 14-bed plastic surgery  ward was established in 1997, which  was immediately recognized by the CPSP for plastic surgery training of new specialists in 1998, which happened to be one of the best units in the country.

Over the period eight doctors enrolled with the ward had served many outlets needing the required treatment.

The ward acquired the services of another plastic surgeon in 1998  as senior registrar. Later, after his promotion as assistant professor,  another plastic surgeon replaced him as senior registrar.

Following the ban on doctors, the head of the ward tendered his resignation in protest. So did, the senior registrar and left for Saudi Arabia.

The remaining assistant professor was immediately promoted to the post of associate professor without fulfilling the criteria of experience of five years as an assistant professor. However, the CPSP did not consider his post suitable for training of postgraduate doctors and training of all the trainee doctors has been cancelled.

n Before the IBP scenario, the ward usually had an operating list of up to 20 patients in one operation theatre, which has now been dropped to two patients.

This summer, the in charge, Dr Tahir went on summer vacation and the ward is without a qualified consultant.