BANNU, July 9: Lack of facilities owing to shortage of funds is affecting the functioning of the district headquarters hospital, causing hardship to patients.

A survey of the hospital reveals that most of the equipment, from airconditioning units to X-ray machines, ECG and blood bank apparatus are either out of order or cannot be used because of frequent power failures and low voltage.

Patients admitted to medical and surgical wards have to endure sizzling heat as there is no airconditioning system or water cooler at these wards to lessen the effects of high temperature. Beds are often laid in corridors and verandahs as the hospital also faces accommodation problem.

The unannounced loadshedding only adds to the problems of patients and hospital staff. A blood bank worker told this correspondent that it was not possible to store blood for long time as refrigerators did not function properly because of low voltage.

Talking to Dawn, Medical Superintendent Gul Anar Jan said that low voltage had rendered airconditioning units nonfunctional. "We have no stabilizer to run the airconditioning units when the voltage is low," he said, adding that the airconditioners installed in the hospital had been donated by the doctors.

Mr Jan said that the X-ray machine, ECG machine, blood bank equipment and tubewells could not be used due to low voltage and frequent loadshedding. He stated that Chief Minister Akram Durrani had approved a grant of Rs100,000 for the hospital, out of which Rs70,000 would be spent on the repair of X-ray machine and other equipments, while the remaining amount was meant for purchase of medicines.

The hospital consists of 346 beds, and has an annul fund of Rs1.5 million. According to sources, the hospital requires Rs1.6 million for medicines alone.