DHO report reveals staff shortage, lack of essential facilities at DHQ Hospital in Dasu and looming strike
PESHAWAR:
Despite the introduction of a public-private partnership (PPP) model in the health sector of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the conditions of several government hospitals have not improved, with serious deficiencies reported at Dasu Hospital in District Headquarters (DHQ), Upper Kohistan.
According to sources, the District Health Officer (DHO) of Upper Kohistan submitted a detailed report to the Director General of the Health Foundation earlier this month, highlighting multiple administrative and medical problems in the district’s largest hospital. The report was prepared following an inspection visit by DHO Dr Taj Muhammad.
The report reveals that out of 11 sanctioned consultant posts at DHQ Hospital Dasu, only two consultants, an orthopedic surgeon and a general surgeon, were found present on duty. The hospital management informed that two ENT and pediatric consultants were on official leave. Similarly, only 12 doctors out of 20 were available, while only 10 nurses were working out of an authorized strength of 25. However, the entire paramedical staff, i.e. 37 people, would have been fully available.
The DHO also drew attention to the dire lack of essential health facilities at the hospital. Apart from a few beds, no adequate indoor service is available to stabilize emergency patients. Despite being a major district hospital, DHQ Dasu does not have an intensive care unit (ICU) or blood bank. The hospital’s only digital X-ray machine was out of service for several months due to technical faults.
The absence of a qualified anesthesiologist has further reduced surgical interventions to the bare minimum. The report highlights the urgent need to upgrade the hospital to meet basic healthcare standards.
Sources said that even though the health ministry has outsourced several hospitals to remote districts under the PPP model, many of these facilities continue to face operational crises. Despite government funding and contractual agreements, staff at several PPP hospitals have repeatedly protested non-payment of salaries and inadequate medical facilities.
At DHQ Hospital Dasu, employees have reportedly not received salaries for the past five months.
