MOHMAND AGENCY, Aug 28: Patients have been facing problems as there is a shortage of doctors and medicines at the government-run health-care centres in the Mohmand Agency, shows a survey.

There are a total of 30 health-care centres in the agency which has a population of 350,000. Most of those centres lack medicines and doctors.

Female patients are the worst sufferers, for there are only two lady doctors, one each at Ghallanai and Yakaghund, to take care of some 150,000 women.

Except for Ghallanai hospital and a rural health centre at Yakaghund, the rest of the 30 health centres are basic health units that offer little facilities. The staff at these hospitals do not perform their duties but collect their salaries regularly.

Officials said the medicines provided to these centres were not enough to cater to the needs of the patients.

A dental surgeon and an eye specialist were appointed at the Ghallanai hospital, but they come to the hospital only for a few hours in a week.

Left with no other option, people rush their critically ill patients to Peshawar but many of those patients die before reaching hospitals.