LANDI KOTAL, Dec 21: Patients faced a lot of hardship at the agency headquarters hospital here as doctors, medical staff and paramedics association of Khyber Agency went on strike on Tuesday to protest against prolonged power breakdowns in the hospital.

Almost all the wards, laboratories and OPD were closed as doctors and other staff members stayed away from their work place. A spokesman for the protestors, Dr Rehman, said that the hospital would remain closed till getting assurance from both the political administration and Wapda officials for uninterrupted supply of electricity to the hospital.

He said that because of the prolonged load shedding X-ray and ECG machines, hospital laboratory and operation theatre remained non-operational. Dr Rehman said that almost all pneumonia-hit children were shifted to Peshawar hospitals as the nabulizer machine could not be operated without electricity.

Some of the patients and their attendants also lodged complaints with the political teshsildar against the non provision of health facilities at the hospital because of the strike.