PROVINCE REPORT
CHARSADDA: A planned visit by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Fayaz Ali shah to the District Headquarters Hospital, Charsadda, exposed serious shortcomings in basic healthcare facilities, including inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, shortage of medicines and alleged absenteeism of staff.
The health secretary inspected various wards and departments of the hospital and expressed displeasure over the arrangements, directing the relevant officials to take immediate corrective measures.
The visit had been scheduled in advance and hospital administration had reportedly informed staff a day earlier through WhatsApp messages to ensure their presence and complete all necessary arrangements. Despite the prior notice, several deficiencies were observed during the inspection.
The health secretary visited different wards and examined the cleanliness situation, washrooms and availability of water. Poor sanitation arrangements and the absence of water in some washrooms drew his displeasure, prompting him to direct the authorities to take action against those responsible.
Patients and their attendants also complained to the health secretary about the lack of essential facilities. They said several necessary and life-saving medicines were unavailable in the emergency department, forcing poor patients to purchase expensive medicines from private pharmacies.
Patients also complained that Tetanus Toxoid (TT) injections, despite reportedly being available in the hospital stock, were not being provided to patients in need. The health secretary took notice of the complaint. Some patients also raised concerns about injections allegedly being administered incorrectly.
The absence of CT scan and MRI facilities also emerged as a major issue during the visit. Patients said they were frequently referred to hospitals in Peshawar even for diagnostic investigations, causing additional financial hardship for poor families. Complaints regarding the non-availability of angiography facilities were also raised.
During the inspection of the children’s ward, a suction machine was found to be out of order. The health secretary expressed displeasure and ordered an inquiry into the overall functioning of the ward. The attendance of nursing staff and facilities being provided to patients were also reviewed.
The secretary further directed hospital authorities to auction old and unused equipment at the earliest, saying removal of obsolete material would help improve the utilisation of space and overall hospital management.
He also took notice of complaints regarding the alleged sale of counterfeit medicines in Charsadda bazaars and directed the drug inspector to take immediate action and launch a crackdown against those involved.
Patients urged the health department to prioritise basic healthcare facilities instead of spending large amounts on cosmetic improvements and renovation of the hospital. They said funds should be utilised for medicines, diagnostic equipment, water supply, sanitation and other essential services to provide relief to patients.
The health secretary sought an immediate report from the district health officer regarding the shortcomings identified during the inspection and directed the relevant authorities to address the issues without delay.
Mr Fayaz Ali Shah also announced that from Oct 15, the data of all patients across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be made available online. He said data from basic health units, rural health centres, tehsil and district headquarters hospitals would be integrated into a central system and made accessible to other hospitals in the province.
According to him, the integrated system would improve access to patients’ medical records and treatment histories and help ensure better coordination among public sector health facilities.
