PESHAWAR, Dec 7: Afghan refugees settled in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) consume over 45 per cent of the total annual budget the federal government earmarks for the public sector hospitals in Fata, according to official sources.

According to a survey conducted by the health department, NWFP, of the over Rs70 million sanctioned for the Agency headquarters hospitals in Khyber, Bajaur, Kurram, North Waziristan and South Waziristan in Fata, during the 2000-01 financial year, over Rs32 million was consumed by the Afghan refugees settled in these areas.

The survey revealed that out of every 100 patients that turned up at the Khyber Agency’s hospital in 2000-01 financial year 42 were of the Afghan origin. In the Kurram Agency and North Waziristan Agency the ratio of Afghan origin patients appeared to be as high as 57 and 59, respectively, out of every 100 patients. Similarly, in the South Waziristan Agency — also sharing borders with Afghanistan like Khyber, North Waziristan and Kurram Agencies — out of every 100 patients who got medical facilities, in the 2000-01 financial year, 32 were Afghans.

“In all,” said a health department official, “the total cost of Afghan refugees health care in Fata — in all health facilities — comes to as high as 38.8 per cent of the total annual budget Fata hospitals are earmarked every by the federal authorities.”

Dependence of such a large number of Afghan refugees on the Fata hospitals has resulted in depriving the local population of better health facilities.

According to health department officials, public sector hospitals are allocated budgets every year in accordance with the total number of population of the area.

As the refugee population, said the sources, was not considered at the time of preparing the budget every year they (refugees) appeared to be major source of causing distortions to the annual budgets of the public sector hospitals for the budgetary outlay are designed to cater to the needs of the local population.

“In view of the complications the health sector budget is needed to be formulated to cater to the requirements of the local population as well as the refugee population to avoid the budgetary distortions,” said a doctor posted at the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.