An insufficient number of doctors and medical specialists in various hospitals of Malakand has irked patients in the area. Health Department officials informed Pakistan Today that an acute shortage of over 40 doctors in the District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital at Batkhela existed and over 14 vacancies of medical specialists and MBBS doctors were still vacant.
Dr Delawar Shah was the only serving specialist doctor in the DHQ Hospital in Dargai, who was transferred to DHQ, Batkhela. The already transferred children specialist Dr Nawaz did not take charge of his duty and was shifted to the DHQ Hospital in Batkhela and Dr Rasool was transferred to the DHQ Hospital in Dargai. DHQ Batkhela, a single Category B hospital in the district, with a population of around 0.9 million was the main hospital in the district, however 40 vacant posts of doctors in the hospital has seriously affected performance of the Health Department, a medical expert said. It was time that vacancy of medical specialists and staff was filled in these hospitals.
