SARGODHA: Despite the instructions of caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi, the problems of the patients visiting Dr. Faisal Masood Teaching Civil Hospital could not be resolved.

The patients, including children, elderly men and women, have to face the agony of standing in long queues for getting prescription slips from the registration counter.

There is a shed with insufficient capacity and patients have to wait in the open in scorching heat and the worst situation they face when they get the slip, most of the medical consultants leave the hospital and consequently they have to approach the doctor in their private clinic.

The commissioner has instructed the hospital management to enhance the number of counters but as yet the male and female patients have to wait in six rows of long queues.

A patient, Muhammad Naeem, who was standing in a queue, suggested to set up an automatic computerised system for prescription slip inside the building where all the visitors may get consultation with the respective doctor.

It merits mentioning that although the attendance of doctors was ensured by their thumb identification [biometric verification], mostly the consultants leave the hospital before 12noon.

A staff member of the hospital requesting anonymity claimed that biometric attendance was being misused by the concerned staff and even a doctor staying in the USA had managed his attendance through his bogus identification and even withdrew salary for the last seven months.

He said though the health department stopped the salary of the doctor absent from duty, no action was taken against him.

When this correspondent attempted to contact the health authorities, they were not available for comment about the absentee doctor. However, Medical Superintendent Dr. Nayar Abbas Khan said he recently assumed the charge and did not know about the absence of any doctor.

He said a counter has been set up to give priority to the journalists coming for treatment, where they will be treated according to the SOPs of the hospital.

He said a conference room would be set up for journalists along with the DMS room during the winter.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2023