CHITRAL, June 23: A shortage of doctors and paramedics at the DHQ hospital here has severely affected health services in the district.

Twelve posts of medical officers have been lying vacant for many years, a health official said.

Last year the hospital was upgraded to B-category but nothing was done to provide parallel facilities.

A doctor has to work for extended hours at the OPD casualty unit in the operation theatre and general wards.

The only heath care facility in the district sees a large number of patients during winter when the Lowari Pass is closed and people can not take even serious patients to other places.

The hospital is being run without a cardiologist and orthopaedic surgeon.

Laboratory apparatus and equipment have gone obsolete and people have to go to private laboratories. One of the two X-rays machines has been out of order for three years.

A common phenomenon is the unhygienic state of the hospital, open gutters and heaps of garbage at places around the facility. It is also facing shortage of sweepers as the finance department has yet to sanction more posts.

Owing to the unruly state of affairs at the hospital and severe work load almost every doctor tries to get transferred to Peshawar or other district.