SWABI, Oct 8: People suffer as the operation theatre in the civil hospital in Topi has never functioned since the hospital was inaugurated. The hospital’s X-ray section has been out of operation for the past eight years.

Hospital sources said that the NWFP health minister had promised to help fix or replace the X-ray machine, adding that it was an important equipment if the government was really serious, it should buy the hospital a new X-ray machine.

“The minister had assured us when he visited the place three years ago that the provincial government would allocate money to repair the X-ray plant within a week but nothing has been done so far,” one of the doctors.

There is a private X-ray unit installed outside the hospital but it charges are higher than normal and people contacted by this correspondent said that the quality of its films was not up to the mark.

Built in 1990, the 60-bed hospital provides vital medical facilities to patients from the entire Gadoon belt, the congested Topi region, Kotha, Hamlet, Maini Kalabat and Zarobi areas.

Staffers said that the hospital suffered from a chronic lack of funds and staff, adding that there was no woman doctor, including a gynaecologist. So far, they said, no surgeon has been appointed.

While the hospital staff complained about lack of equipment, staff and drugs, saying that they were unable to attend patients in a proper way but patients accused the doctors of just wasting their time, adding that there was no doctor available at the hospital in night time.

“The hospital staff charged Rs10 for providing first-aid but if the patient needed stitches, he has to buy everything needed for the operation,” the patients complained.

They said that some doctors got transferred there but none of them stayed there for long.