PEOPLE’S Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), Sindh, is working across the province to provide basic healthcare services to children and adults by utilising the funds provided by the Sindh government.

On March 13, I along with my colleague got injured in an accident near the PPHI healthcare unit in Bali Shah village of Dadu. We were rescued and went to the PPHI basic healthcare unit to get medical treatment, but found no doctor or any staff except two housekeepers.

When we asked the housekeepers about the doctors’ whereabouts so that we could get medical treatment, they told us that the doctors were absent, while two vaccinators were out in the field.

They said that as we were injured in a road accident, they could only provide basic first aid services. I thanked the housekeepers for giving some relief to us by dressing our wounds in the absence of doctors.

Apart from emergency situations, the patients who come for routine matters have to wait for hours for the absent doctors. We saw many women with their newborn babies also waiting for the absent doctors. Residents of nearby communities who were at the healthcare unit were disappointed with the doctors’ absence.

I urge PPHI chairman to take immediate action.

Imtiaz Junejo
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2020