HARIPUR, Feb 8: People of Najaf Pur and Barkot union councils are deprived of healthcare facilities owing to a shortage of staff and medicines and non-availability of electricity and other facilities at health units in the area.

During a visit to the Najaf Pur Basic Health Unit, this correspondent learnt that the electricity connection to the facility was snapped some six years back after the department concerned had reportedly failed to clear the Wapda dues. Also, the transformer was lying out of order.

The dispensary officials said they were forced to store TT, BCG, Measles, DPT and HBV vaccines in refrigerators of some private houses. They cited budget constraint as the reason for non-availability of drugs at the facility.

Record shows that 20 to 50 patients visit the health unit daily, but as there is no medical officer to check patients they are attended to by technicians.

In spite of the fact that a number of snake-bite and dog-bite cases are registered in the area every year, the health unit has not been provided with the concerned vaccine. There is no X-Ray or labour room facility at the health unit which is supposed to cater for a 15,000-plus population of seven villages.

The boundary wall of the health unit collapsed some five years back and repeated requests by the area people for its repair fell on the deaf ears of higher authorities with the result that dogs and bores roam about inside the building freely.

In the Barkot union council, a civil dispensary was upgraded to the status of 10-bed 'Life-Saving Medical Facility (LSMF) with the financial support of the Save the Children, USA. The LSMF has a fully-equipped X-Ray room, pathological lab, an operation theatre, labour room, dental unit but without staff since its completion in December 2003.

A male medical officer was posted to the facility but appointment of a lady doctor, as promised by the health department and district government, has not been made yet, said Shahjehan Abbasi, naib nazim the UC Barkot.