OKARA, July 2: The Punjab health department is providing facilities to 2.5 million people of the district with a network of a DHQ and a THQ hospital, 11 rural health centres (RHCs) and 96 basic health units (BHUs).

More than 70 per cent of the BHUs are working without doctors, while two RHCs don't have the required strength of medical officers. The DHQ hospital is also short of three medical officers and a gynaecologist. The hospital, after its upgrade in July 1, 1982, has been working without some basic wards, including a burn unit and a TB and chest ward.

The main reason for doctors' shortage in the district has been the lack of a proper appointment policy through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) for many years. At present, the department is providing jobs on a a contract with handsome salaries, but doctors do not join the service for lack of job security.

The DHQ hospital is overcrowded because of staff shortage at the BHUs. Around 500 patients use to visit the out-patient ward and over 100 are brought to the emergency daily.

The first shift starts from 8am to 2pm, whereas the remaining two duty shifts are supervised by three doctors at the 120-bed hospital. The medical facilities at the emergency are also poor. Patients have to bring disposable syringes with them. Not to talk of medicines.

Currently, the hospital is functioning with 11 district-level specialist doctors, 14 medical officers, four women medical officers (WMO), two dental surgeons, and paramedical staff.

In order to meet the requirements, a new 125-bed hospital was inaugurated by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Aug 3, 2003, situated on the Okara-Deepalpur Road.

The hospital is not fully functional as only one physician is performing duties in the OPD and all the other staff, including doctors, are yet to be appointed. The construction work on the hospital had been started in 1993.