GHALANAI, Oct 30: People of Mohmand Agency have demanded of the government to provide basic facilities and appoint specialist doctors in the agency headquarters hospital, Ghalanai, so that patients could be provided timely treatment.

Talking to Dawn here on Wednesday, they said that the Fata health department had neither provided the required medical facilities nor filled the vacant sanctioned posts of six specialist doctors at the hospital despite repeated complaints.

`Due to absence of a gynaecologist even routine cases are referred to Peshawar hospitals,` said a resident. The hospital was upgraded to agency headquarters hospital in 2003.

Of the proposed 110 beds, only 40 beds were set up at the facility, said Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Mohammad Riaz, when contacted. He said that the posts of specialist doctors, including medical, surgical, ENT, paediatrics and eye, were sanctioned for the hospital in 2003-04, but these were still vacant. He said that they urgently needed specialist doctors to cater to the growing number of patients.

Dr Riaz said that strict orders had been issued to the staff to attend duties regularly.

He said that salaries of two lady doctors, a nurse and 15 class-IV employees had been withheld for being absent from duty. Besides, he said that power loadshedding was hampering X-ray and laboratory tests.

Mohmand Welfare Organisation president Mir Afzal Mohmand said that the hospital did not have a gynaecologist and taking benefit of the situation, lady health visitors had opened private clinics at their houses, who charged patients according to their will.

Sources said that the hospital received Rs2 million annually for purchase of medicines.

`Due to lack of attention on the part of government and elected representatives our patients are dying,` said Qaumi Watan Party, Mohmand Agency, leader Ghulam Hussain. He said that almost every second patient brought for emergency treatment to the hospital was referred to Peshawar.

He urged Governor Shaukatullah to honour his promises and order provision of staff and facilities at the hospital so that patients could be provided treatment in their hometown. -Correspondent