SWABI: Over 1,300 staff, including doctors, of three Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) hospitals here in Swabi district have not been paid the September salary, sources in these health units told Dawn on Sunday.

Three major MTI hospitals are Bacha Khan Medical Complex, Shahmansoor, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Topi, and Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chota Lahor.

The sources said doctors, paramedical staff, Class-IV and other employees had not been paid their salary for September despite record inflation, putting them in distress.

The sources recalled that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had implemented the MTI law in the major health units and teaching hospitals of the province during its tenure. However, they said the policy tacitly aimed to appoint the party workers in various positions.

When contacted, doctors told Dawn on condition of anonymity that due to ‘wrong priorities’ of the then government these public sector hospitals had been facing financial crisis, and were not even able to pay salaries to employees on time.

“The system proved to be cruel not only for doctors, paramedics and Class-IV employees but also for patients,” said a doctor.

District president of paramedical association Fazal Hakeem said only leading hospitals were converted into MTIs in the entire province, but in Swabi even a THQ hospital was also made part of it.

Meanwhile, the Extended Programme on Immunisation staff, who were recruited under the project, have also not received their salary for last 18 months, the sources said.

When contacted, some EPI staffers demanded restoration of the previous health system in the province.

An official at the Bacha Khan Hospital said they were in contact with provincial finance department for release of the salary fund as soon as possible.

FIVE ARRESTED: The police arrested five drug peddlers and recovered five kilogrammes of charas and ice drug from them on Sunday.

Swabi city police station SHO Munsif Khan said the drug traffickers were held during actions in Maneri and adjacent areas. He said 5kg hashish and 555 grams ice-drug was seized from the possession of Amjad Ali, Manzoor, Niaz Ali, Taj Wali Khan and Gul Bacha.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2023