SIALKOT - Government Allama Iqbal and Govt Sardar Begum Memorial DHQ Hospitals here have been facing shortage of medical officers and paramedics for the last several years.
The shortage of doctors and paramedics is a main hurdle in provision of medical and healthcare services to the local people at local level. The situation is exposing the tall claims of the provincial government regarding the provision of better medical facilities, besides, raising the curtain from the local elected representatives’ interest in the matter.
As many as 74 posts of different categories including doctors and paramedics have been lying vacant for a long time. The higher officials of Sialkot district administration and health department have allegedly been reluctant to fill these vacant posts.
Three years ago, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had upgraded the hospital and also increased the number of beds to 400 from 293. Since then, the number of beds has not been increased to 400 so far by the health department.
When contacted, the hospital administration claimed that the Sialkot health department officials have written several letters to the higher authorities of Punjab health department for the early appointment on these posts. The 387 posts of Grade I to 20 were sanctioned for the hospital out which 74 posts have been lying vacant.
As many as 16 basic health units (BHUs) in Sialkot district have been lying without the medical officer for the last several years. On the other hand, the project of establishment of a well-equipped “Burn Unit” at Govt. Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital was in the doldrums, as the Sialkot finance department had refused to provide the required funds of Rs.20 million to the health department.
About eight years ago, the then Sialkot District Nazim, Mian Naeem Javaid, had laid the foundation stone of the project but despite the lapse of five years, there is no development in this project.
When contacted, the Sialkot Health department officials said that the then Sialkot district government could not generate the required funds of Rs20 million, besides, remaining unable to get PC-1 for the early establishment of the proposed Burn Unit. He said that although the project was in the larger interest of the people, yet the present district government has not yet undertaken the project.
It is interesting to point out that the former Sialkot District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema had also failed to ensure implementation on this project.
PML-N Central Leader and MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Manshaullah Butt, the Special Assistant to Punjab CM, and MPA Ikhlaq Ahmed also allegedly gave no little weight for the early release of the needed funds for the purpose.
Sialkot’s second DHQ Hospital namely Govt. Sardar Begum Memorial DHQ Hospital had also been facing the shortage of the doctors and paramedics, as there were more than 54 seats of doctors and paramedics including eight women medical officers, 12 senior medical officers, and seven nurses had been lying  vacant there for the last two years. Daily more than 800 OPD patients visit the hospital. Due to shortage of the doctors and paramedics the indoor and outdoor patients suffer great ordeal in getting treatment there.
There is no additional medical superintendent, urologist, anesthetist, chest specialist,  cardiologist, dermatologist, psychiatrist, nursing superintendent, no  women medical officer, no budget and accounts officer, deputy nursing superintendent, head nurse, physiotherapist , charge nurse, ECG technician and even no gynecologist at the hospital.
Both of the ambulances have been lying out of ordered at Pasrur THQ Civil Hospital for the last year, as the hospital management has no funds for their fuel and repairing. When contacted, EDO (Health) Sialkot Dr. Zafar Awan said that the situation was repeatedly brought into the notice of the higher officials of provincial health department for the early solution to these problems.