PESHAWAR, Sept 27: Non-availability of X-ray films at the Khyber Teaching Hospital has been causing problems for patients, doctors told Dawn here on Friday.

“We have run out of X-ray films because of which patients are going to other hospitals to get their X-rays done,” said a radiologist.

Director Finance of the Khyber Teaching Hospital Jehan Roz told Dawn the hospital management owed Rs19 million as an outstanding amount to the suppliers of films, because of which they had stopped supplying the same.

He said out of the total amount, Rs2,40,000 were to be released on Friday after which he hoped the suppliers would make films available in due time.

He said the institution management committee run the affairs of the hospital, which included the decision regarding allocation of funds to different departments.

Out of the total budgetary outlay of Rs230 million for the year 2003-04 Rs110 million are consumed by salaries of 1,700 staffers, whereas the rest go into purchasing drugs and other materials.

Deputy Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Mukhtiar said the contractors who supplied films were also facing shortage of the stock.

On the other hand the contractors told that they had been supplying X-ray film despite the fact that the hospital had not paid them their due amount since April.

“Presently, we have exhausted the stock. We have placed orders to procure more stock and hopefully we would supply X-ray films in a couple of days,”  said one of the suppliers.