KOHAT: Elderly patients of tuberculosis have demanded of the KDA Teaching Hospital authorities to shift back the medical store to the ground floor from the first floor to rid them of climbing stairs for registration and getting medicines.

They termed the earlier set-up convenient for a large number of reported positive cases, but it had been changed abruptly without any reason.

The patients said that three doctors on the first floor prescribed medicines and registered TB patients referred from far-flung basic health units of Kohat district. They said that after being exhausted by travel they had to climb up to reach the first floor.

When contacted, an official said on the condition of anonymity on Sunday thatthemedical store and the three doctors should be shifted back to ground floor as the patients on arrival had to run from pillar to post to locate the medical store and the doctors.

The patients from far-off Bazidkhel, Togh, Bilitang and other areas also requested not to disclose their names due to social stigma attached to the disease.

Similarly, due to theabsence of a multi-drugresistance (MDR) unit for advance treatment of TB patients they had to be referred to the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.

The official said that one doctor should be assigned for the TB medical store and registration on the ground floor.

He said that the focal person should sit near the laboratory and the medical store should be shifted back to the ground floor for convenience of the patients.

The medical superintendent, Dr Nasir Hassan Afridi, and focal person Dr Younis Nadeem could not be contacted on phone despite several attempts.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022