PESHAWAR, July 17: Patients admitted to three teaching hospitals of the city are facing hadship due to lack of consultants, according to health officials and attendants. “Most consultants have proceeded on vocation and left wards at the mercy of junior doctors,” said a medical officer at the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

He said many of the consultants had gone abroad and left their private clinics to junior doctors, who were charging hefty consultation fees.

“Junior doctors are examining patients in clinics of consultants and charging Rs300 as consultation fees though they are not qualified to receive the same,” said a dispenser at Dabgari Gardens, the hub of private clinics in Peshawar.

A staff nurse at the Hayatabad Medical Complex said junior doctors running consultants’ clinic were referring patients for admission to wards, but they got disappointed when no senior doctors attended them.

“We face problems in OPD also. I have to remain on call for 24 hours due to non-availability of senior doctors,” a medical officer said.

Another medical officer at the Lady Reading Hospital said several consultants proceeded abroad in summer vacations and to keep their clinics running, they hired junior doctors.