BATTAGRAM: Allai, which was declared as a tehsil of Battagram district in 1993, still lacks proper health facilities for a population of approximately 300,000 people.

A few years ago the provincial government upgraded the Banna rural health centre to the tehsil headquarters hospital, but did not provide the required facilities, the locals complained.

They pointed out that the government declared the health centre as the type-D hospital, which should have specialised doctors and other staff with necessary facilities, but there was no such provision on the ground.

Inayatur Rehman, a resident of Karg Bazaar, told Dawn that posts of doctors like medical specialist, child specialist, medical officers, lady doctor, dental surgeon, dental technician and nursing staff had long been lying vacant. He pointed out that the hospital had an X-ray machine but no technician to make it functional.

Zakir, resident of Roop Kanai village, said due to shortage of doctors and health facilities in the tehsil headquarters hospital, they were compelled to take their patients to the district headquarters hospital, Battagram.

Shakirullah, another local, said the Allai hospital management referred even the normal delivery cases to the district headquarters hospital.

He lamented the apathy of the local and provincial governments towards the health needs of the locals.

Hidayatur Rehman, another resident of Karg Bazaar, said the hospital also faced prolonged outages, and the generator was lying unused for want of fuel.

Niamatullah Khaksar, a social activist, said the provincial government had failed to deliver, adding health facilities in far-flung areas of the province like Allai were next to nil.

He added the government claimed that the health facilities had been improved across the province but ground reality was different.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2017