PESHAWAR, Oct 25: Poor treatment facilities and a recent decision to stop providing free medicines to patients at the Sarhad Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases has increased patiens' woes, shows a survey.

A number of patients have complained that the hospital administration has stopped providing free medicines which were being provided to the hospital from the Zakat fund.

The patients pointed out that the hospital administration had raised the admission fee from Rs35 to Rs100, and claimed that the increase had been introduced without the government's approval.

Talking to Dawn, hospital medical superintendent Dr Khushdil Khan said they received a very little quantity of medicines from the government with which it was not possible for them to meet the growing needs of the drug.

He said the matter had been taken up with the health department.

The medical superintendent defended the increase in the admission charges, saying they had taken the step to generate funds so that maintenance work at certain parts of the hospital could be carried out. However, he added, the overcharging had now stopped.

According to statistics, the number of mentally ill people is on the rise. About 20,000 patients visited the hospital in 1997, 25,000 in 1998, 28,000 in 1999, 30,000 in 2001 and 33,000 in 2002.

The hospital's financial position started deteriorating five years ago when the budget for medicines was slashed from Rs4.2 million to Rs2 million.