CHARSADDA: Patients and their attendants have complained about a lack of essential facilities, particularly CT scan and MRI machines, at the District Headquarters Hospital, Charsadda.
Speaking to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Fayaz Ali Shah, who visited the hospital on Sunday, they said that lifesaving medicines were not available in the emergency department, forcing patients to purchase them from private pharmacies.
Patients alleged that Tetanus Toxoid injections, despite reportedly being available in the hospital stock, were not being provided to them.
Some patients also expressed concern about injections allegedly being administered incorrectly.
The absence of CT scan and MRI facilities also emerged as a major issue during the visit. Patients said they were frequently referred to hospitals in Peshawar even for diagnostic investigations, causing additional financial hardship for poor families. Complaints regarding the non-availability of angiography facilities were also raised.
The health secretary inspected various wards and departments of the hospital and expressed displeasure over the arrangements, directing the relevant officials to take immediate corrective measures.
The visit had been scheduled in advance, and the hospital administration had reportedly informed staff a day earlier through WhatsApp messages to ensure their presence and complete all necessary arrangements.
Poor sanitation arrangements and the absence of water in some washrooms drew Mr Shah’s displeasure, prompting him to direct the authorities to take action against those responsible. During the inspection of the children’s ward, a suction machine was found to be out of order. The health secretary ordered an inquiry into the overall functioning of the ward.
Mr Shah directed the authorities to auction old and unused equipment at the earliest, saying removal of obsolete material would help improve the utilisation of space and overall hospital management.
He also took notice of complaints regarding the alleged sale of counterfeit medicines in Charsadda bazaars and directed the drug inspector to launch a crackdown on those involved. He sought an immediate report from the district health officer regarding the shortcomings identified during the inspection.
Mr Shah also announced that from Oct 15, data of all patients from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be made available online. He said data from basic health units, rural health centres, tehsil and district headquarters hospitals would be integrated into a central system and made accessible to other hospitals in the province.
According to him, the integrated system would improve access to patients’ medical records and treatment histories and help ensure better coordination among public sector health facilities.
Meanwhile, a dental surgeon, Dr Imran Khan, expressed concern about the absence of essential diagnostic and treatment facilities at the hospital.
He said the hospital did not have CT scan, MRI or angiography facilities, adding patients requiring critical care were being referred to Peshawar.
He also expressed apprehension that raising questions about the hospital’s shortcomings could result in his transfer or suspension, but said he would continue to stand by his position.
Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026
