BAJAUR: The District Headquarters Hospital has been without medical superintendent for about two months, impacting its functionality, Dawn learnt here on Wednesday.

Sources said that the MS post got vacant after newly-appointed official, Dr Liaqat Ali, suffered a heart attack just two days after assuming his office on December 7.

The sources said Dr Ali was still under treatment at a Peshawar hospital.

However, the sources privy to the matter said the provincial health department on the request of the district administration had decided several days ago to appoint a new MS, but the decision to replace Dr Ali was postponed after alleged differences among three local PTI MPAs over the name.

The sources said the health department in line with the written requisition of the high-ups of the district administration had principally decided in the third week of December to appoint a new MS in order to ensure the smooth management of the hospital, but the decision was yet to be executed following the row among PTI MPAs over the name as they wanted their own nominee to be the next hospital head.

When contacted, an official at the hospital told Dawn that Dr Noor Badshah had been assigned the job of managing the hospital’s affairs.

A new MS, the official claimed was expected to be appointed very soon.

Meanwhile, people from different walks of life expressed concern about the vacancy and termed it failure of the provincial government.

They demanded of the health department to appoint a new MS to the hospital without delay.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2025