HARIPUR: The post of radiologist in the district headquarters hospital here has been vacant since long though the hospital has a full-fledgedradiology department.

Sources told this scribe that the existing 200-bedded DHQ hospital was made functional in 2008, but a number of posts of specialist doctors were still lying vacant.

According to the official record, the people of Haripur tehsil, Ghazi, Khanpur and several bordering villages of district Abbottabad depend on this hospital having 3,000 to 4,000 daily OPD visitors in its different departments.

Among the OPD patients, according to official sources, at least 10 to 15 were brought to the health facility for medico-legal opinion daily.

However, despite having all the required machinery,the radiology department has been without a radiologist, creating problems for both the administration and patients.

“A woman radiologist was transferred to the Haripur DHQ hospital from Peshawar a couple of years ago, but within few months of her arrival she got herself transferred to Sindh on deputation and the seat has been vacant now,” said district health officer Dr Saifullah Khalid. He said the matter had been brought into the notice of KP secretary health, but the seat was still vacant.

“Many patients need radiologist’s opinion both for treatment and litigation purposes, but absence of a radiologist complicates the problem,” said a doctor requesting anonymity.

Official sources said that in medico-legal cases especially involving fractures, bone deep injuries, etc the opinion of radiologist was imperative.

However, the patients are regularly referred to the DHQ hospital, Abbottabad, for opinion required for legal matters. Former councillor Imran Alizai said that the delay in filling the vacant posts of doctors showed the non-serious attitude of the health department.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2020