LADHA: The slow-paced construction of Sam Hospital in South Waziristan tribal district has been affecting patients, who are transported outside the area even for minor ailments, according to locals.

The construction of the hospital was started in July 2017. It was supposed to complete in 2019 but even half of the work is yet to be completed despite passing of two years.

Officials said that government had allocated Rs162 million to build a hospital for thousands of people living in Sam village but it was still a far dream to see the facility operational owing to slow pace of work on it.

The local people said that they had to shift their patients to other areas even for treatment of minor ailments. They said that they either went to Makeen or Razmak tehsil in the adjacent North Waziristan tribal district. They said that most of the locals couldn’t afford the transportation and treatment charges.

However, the patients, who can afford the cost, ultimately end up in nearby hospitals in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts.

“Women are the worst affected due to lack of health services as they have to undergo more troubles while seeking treatment outside the area,” said residents of the village.

Owing to non-availability of health facilities in Sam, some people go to Model Health Facility in Ladha, which is too short of staff, medicines and equipment etc.

Availability of vehicle is also a main issue for the patients, who are destined to wait for long hours to find transport and reach the hospitals located outside South Waziristan tribal district.

Robina Bibi, a resident of Sam, said that women patients had to suffer a lot as it was very difficult for them to travel in passenger vehicles along with men. “The government must expedite work on Sam hospital so that local people could get investigative and treatment services in their own area,” she added.

Amir Nawaz, a local taxi driver, said that he was witness to the hardships of local patients. He said that most of the people couldn’t bear the expenses of taxicabs and preferred to travel in passenger vehicles that added to their miseries.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2019