PESHAWAR, Sept 24: Shortage of doctors and other facilities is affecting the services at the emergency wards of government hospitals in the provincial capital.

A health worker in the emergency ward of a hospital said two casualty medical officers had been appointed for each of the three shifts but they attended the hospital on alternate days.

In another teaching hospital, three of the four CMOs performed their duties, the sources said.

They said the emergency wards of the city hospitals received more than 3,000 patients every day. “Recently, the condition of a patient deteriorated as he waited for over an hour his turn to be seen by a doctor,” they said.

“His condition was very critical when he was referred to the ward concerned, where the neurosurgeon pronounced him dead,” a dispenser at the emergency ward of the hospital said.

He alleged that only one doctor remained in the emergency ward round-the-clock and covered for his colleagues, while most of the patients were attended by paramedics.

Lack of facilities required for critically-ill patients also endangered the lives of victims of fire-arm injuries or traffic accidents, a health worker said.

A health worker said patients needing CT scan in his hospital had to be referred to another hospital, which wasted precious time.

He said ultrasound facilities were also not available round the clock in some hospital, while doctors in the radiology departments kept emergency patients waiting for hours.

Most of the patients needing MRI had to be taken to the Hayatabad Medical Complex from the two other teaching hospitals and it took at least an hour to reach there, the sources said, adding that poor ambulance service in the hospitals aggravated the problem.

“Officials often use the ambulances for purposes other than shifting patients,” a CMO said.

One of the ambulances was used to pick and drop senior nurses while others were also used by the hospital’s administration department,” said the CMO.

The paramedics argued that they were required to look after the maintenance of the emergency wards, which affected the patients’ care.

“I am roaming around in hospital the whole day to file complaints about electricity, water and sanitation problems in the ward, which is not my duty,” said a dispenser.