PESHAWAR, Nov 20: People are facing difficulties as attendance in government offices is still thin in the wake of extended Eid holidays.

It was learnt that most government employees were yet to return from their native towns.

"The federal government had announced three-day (Nov 15-17) Eidul Fitr vacation but the attendance is extremely thin," a government officer said.

He said that the NWFP government had announced Eid holidays from Nov 13, which meant that most of the employees would have enjoyed nine holidays when they arrived on Nov 21 (Monday).

He said that patients suffered most as there was an acute shortage of doctors and other staffers at government-run hospitals. He cited a road accident that occurred in Dargai area in Mardan district in which 21 people were injured.

The injured, including women and children, were rushed to a local hospital where no one was available to administer even first aid. Later, they were taken to one of the hospitals in Peshawar, where doctors said that the condition of many injured had deteriorated because of late arrival at the hospital.

Some people also complained that they faced problems because of the closure of Wapda's city offices. They said that when they visited Wapda's local offices to get their bills corrected, they found them to be closed.

"Despite all our efforts, we paid late payment surcharge on electricity bills," two consumers contacted by this correspondent complained.

Teaching hospitals in the city also confronted a shortage of staff. Patients at one of the hospitals said that they did not see any doctor during Eid days.

Senior doctors also conceded lack of staff during Eid and said that it affected their work.

"Some patients needed emergency treatment but because of the shortage of staff, we could not provide them necessary treatment," said a casualty medical officer.