PESHAWAR, April 6: The Shamshato Civil Hospital in the Frontier Region of Peshawar is without electricity even 15 years after its construction and people of the area are not getting any benefit from it.

The World Health Organisation has purchased a transformer for the hospital but patients are yet to benefit from this.

“We have got a direct line from Nowshera to ensure smooth power supply to the hospital,” claimed an official.

However, the supply was started on April 1 and disconnected the same day, because Wapda authorities want an underground cable to be used. They argue that people would take illegal connections from the transformers if the line is not underground.

The WHO has also established its office in the hospital to train health professionals and strengthen the diagnostic facilities.

Local people say they are forced to travel for two hours to a rural health centre in Kohi Hassankhel because of lack of facilities in the hospital. They said the staff are also reluctant to perform duties in the hospital.

A dentistry unit and an X-ray plant purchased six months ago have not been made operational yet. The post of X-ray technician is vacant.

Sources said the WHO had purchased machinery worth millions of rupees for labour room in the hospital three years ago but the government shifted the equipment elsewhere.