TAXILA: Poor health facilities for people living in far-flung areas of Pindigheb tehsil in Attock district speaks volumes about the failure of successive governments in bringing about reform in the health sector.

Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital is the only government-run health facility in the tehsil, for a population of almost 300,000, where adequate care to patients is not provided and with no other rural health centres in the area, people have no other option but to travel to hospitals in Attock and Rawalpindi.

There are only three specialist doctors, working at the hospital including a surgeon and a gynecologist while the seats of radiologist, orthopedic surgeon, eye specialist and so on have been lying vacant since the past few years; due to this, residents of the area have to pay hefty fees at private clinics.

Moreover, in case of a bone injury or fracture they have to travel to Rawalpindi or Talagang in district Chakwal because even in private hospitals, an orthopedic surgeon is not available which not only causes people financial burden but also inconvenience because they have to travel on dilapidated roads.

Mudassir Aziz, resident of the area, said that the hospital has a good and well renovated building but paucity of specialist doctors is a matter of great concern, adding, there is also a shortage of medicines.

Another resident, Haji Javed Akhtar Awan said almost a decade ago, a local oil and gas company had donated machinery for eye operations but now these machines have also been shifted to DHQ Hospital Attock, as there is no eye specialist available in Pindigheb.

Upon being contacted, District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said vacant seats of specialists are advertised but no one applies for these posts as the area is remote which is why, most healthcare practitioners are reluctant to serve there.

Responding to a question about shifting of eye equipment from the hospital, he clarified that as the machinery was rusting due to non availability of an eye surgeon, it was shifted to District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital for the best interest of the people.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2020