DERA GHAZI KHAN: Only one, out of three X-ray machines, is functional at the Allama Iqbal Teaching Hospital, that too without any film, causing problems for the poor patients visiting the facility.

The radiology department of the Allama Iqbal Teaching Hospital has been rendered ineffective as all X-ray machines are currently out of order, except one, installed at the hospital’s Trauma Centre.

According to hospital’s Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Mansoor Afghan, the machine currently operational at the Trauma Centre is a temporary unit provided by the manufacturing company.

Sources say that there is a severe shortage of X-ray films at the hospital, which has further compounded the issue for patients’ attendants who are being instructed to capture images of the X-ray results with their mobile phones directly from the machine’s screen.

They say that the situation is problematic for impoverished patients, whose attendants do not own mobile phones.

A local source says that the situation has been persisting at least for the last three months, when he had visited the hospital last time.

The MS, acknowledging the issue, says that an official letter was dispatched to the manufacturing company last month, requesting urgent repairs of the faulty machines.

The poor patients and their attendants, who are affected by the situation, have urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate notice and order restoration of the crucial diagnostic services at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid says he has taken notice of the situation, adding that the matter would be investigated.

He claimed that six portable X-ray machines are also available at the hospital to cope with any emergency situation.

However, the patients say that they never witnessed any portable machine being used in any ward of the hospital.

“I was accompanying a patient, who could not walk due to some bone issue, and he had to be carried all the way to the Trauma Centre for an X-ray. Nobody told us that the hospital also have portable machines,” an attendant said.

The DC says the hospital authorities have already written a letter to the company concerned for the repairs of the out-of-order X-ray machines.

He claimed that out of three installed X-ray machines, only one is out of order and it will soon be made functional.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2026