GUJRAT: The patients at the Kharian tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital have been facing hardships due to various vacant posts since long.

The hospital has no gynecologist, pathologist and half a dozen posts of medical officer are lying vacant and despite the appeals by the locals to the elected representatives as well as the district and tehsil administrations, the vacancies have not been filled.

The post of anaesthetist also fell vacant about over a month back. At least 250 patients used to be operated upon in the operation theatre of the hospital that has been rendered inoperative due to the non-availability of a specialist doctor.

However, a senior official of the district health department said the provincial government had allowed recruitment of medical officers and specialists at the THQ on ad hoc basis of six months period which was extendable and the shortage of qualified doctors at the public health facilities would soon end.

The Gujrat district administration on Saturday posted Dr Farooq Bangash as the medical superintendent of the Kharian THQ hospital after transfer of Dr Muhammad Akram.

— Correspondent