SAHIWAL: Up to 41 per cent of posts of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital have been vacant since its elevation from the DHQ Hospital after its merger with the Sahiwal Medical College.

Sources say that of the 1,043 sanctioned posts, 433 are vacant, and of them, 239 are gazetted posts.

As successive governments have banned new recruitment, the Provincial Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department has not made any recruitment. The staff shortage has created problems for the medical college administration to shift different departments to the newly-constructed multistorey ‘Compact Block’.

Sources said the hospital administration was facing financial problems for the smooth functioning of the Compact Block. Though the procurement of medical and lab equipment, furniture and fixtures for Compact Block with a Rs1.9 billion budget has been made, the collage faces fund shortage to run different services in the new block.

College Principal Imran Hasan Khan said he demanded Rs320.26 million in the budget line for three years -- 2022-25 -- but the provincial department sanctioned Rs130.5m, of which Rs84m were approved for 2022-23.

The principal told Dawn that of the approved budget, the college received Rs50m till September.

“To run the new building, the college needs janitorial, security services, incineration and laundry services for which the approved budget is insufficient,” the principal added.

Earlier, these services were outsourced to third parties under contract.

Dawn learnt the college administration has demanded an additional Rs260.548m budget for running these services in the new block, of which the college has only Rs50m.

The principal said by running the Compact Block, the hospital would increase beds to 1,150 from 600, which would increase administrative costs.

The opening up of compact blocks will facilitate college management to accommodate day-to-day increasing number of patients.

The principal said the Punjab government had lifted ban on recruitment, the healthcare department had sought data on vacant posts, which the hospital would furnish soon.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2022