TAXILA: The tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital Taxila is facing an acute shortage of staff and necessary facilities.

The much publicised Chief Minister Punjab Health Reforms Programme seems a distant dream for the residents of Taxila and Wah Cantonment.

The number of patients coming to the hospital is increasing but the hospital is unable to serve them.

In case of indoor treatment and even autopsy, the attendants have to bring necessary medicines from outside.

The absence of medical specialist and civil surgeon in the hospital is also adding to the suffering of the patients coming from scores of villages.

The posts of surgeon and medical specialist remain vacant for the last over four months, causing immense problems for the patients, especially road accident victims.

The poor patients, mostly peasants and agriculture workers, come to the hospital from far-flung villages but return without being treated.

Same is the case with the road accident victims who are rushed to the hospital by rescue officials but due to unavailability of a surgeon most of them die.

Moreover, there are eight sanctioned posts of medical officers but currently there are only three of them.

This speaks volumes about the seriousness of the government to ensure health facilities in the hospital.

The paucity of the MOs not only hampers the smooth functioning of the hospital and treatment of the patients but also burdens the only four doctors.

Moreover, the posts of ENT, eye specialists as well as radiologist and pathologist are also vacant since long but no doctor has been appointed for the last 10 years despite the fact that the posts had been sanctioned by the provincial government.

About 600 to 700 outdoor patients are registered at the hospital daily.

On the other hand, the hospital has limited annual fund of Rs0.8 million which is utilised within two months of its release due to the high number of indoor and outdoor patients.

Resultantly, during the following 10 months, the attendants of the patients have to bring necessary medicines for the treatment of the patients.

The hospital has also limited funds for the diesel generator.

As a result, during loadshedding small operations are conducted under the candlelight.

Asim Meer, the president of a local NGO, demanded that Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who was elected from the area, should look into the condition of the THQ hospital which was in a dire need of basic facilities for the poor patients.

He said Pakistan was among 115 countries which have recognised the right to public healthcare but the basic healthcare facilities are not being provided to the citizens.

When contacted, Medical Superintendent THQ hospital Dr Mohammad Shahid said the hospital had limited fund of Rs0.8 million per year which was insufficient to meet the needs of the patients.

He also confirmed that the hospital was facing the paucity of surgical threads and other items.

About the shortage of doctors, he said the matter was in the notice of the district and provincial health authorities and the hospital administration was eagerly waiting for any response for the posting of specialists and doctors.