DERA GHAZI KHAN - The Rural Health Centre (RHC) Shah Saddr Din is prolonged hit by corruption and absenteeism on the part of doctors and other staff and resultantly adding to the problems of the patients and their families.
More than 50,000 people of Shah Saddr Din and adjoining towns are deprived of healthcare due to lack of essential medicines and equipments at RHC. Even Paracetamol tablet that is used to treat aches and pain is not available at the hospital for years.
X-Rays plant, Dental Surgery Unit and electrocardiography (ECG) machine are out of order for the last many years. Even blood pressure apparatus and thermometer are not available there. In case of accident, the patients are not provided with bandage and cotton rolls.
Moreover, the unit lacks ultrasound machine, X-rays films, ECG machine rolls, lab equipment/ kits and an ambulance that had now become unbearable for the public.
Electric cooler for drinking water is also out of order. Even ceiling fans are not installed in male ward at RHC. The criminal practice of stealing electricity at the RHC goes unabated thanks to Dr Shah Nawaz and SHO Police Station Shah Sadar Din.
The Punjab police illegally occupied four residences of RHC to establish Police Station Shah Sadar Din since 19-03-2011 and electric power is being supplied to the police station from the RHC electric connection.
The only labour room of the hospital presents a picture of trash bin and the rest of structure is in a shambles. All 19 residential buildings are in dilapidated condition while broken doors and shatter windowpanes tell another sorry state of affairs.
Sewerage system of the hospital is choked and one big size pond of dirty water has appeared in its courtyard which has become safe haven for mosquitos. The RHC administration has been defying the Hospital Waste Management (HWM) Rules-2014.
Poor healthcare has put a big question mark on the tall claims of the DHA DG Khan in the native district of CM Punjab Sardar Uman Khan Buzdar while DC DG Khan Ali Akbar Bhatti paid surprise visit to RHC on 19 August 2018 but to no avail.
Moreover, lack of 16 sanctioned staff including one APMO, one SMO, two charge nurses, one computer operator, one Hakim, one junior clerk, one Dresser, one operation theatre assistant, one Anaesthesia Assistant, two midwives and four rural health inspectors, is affecting the healthcare at RHC..
Out of five posts of Sanitary Patrol are lying vacant. Ghulam Shabbir who was appointed as Mali illegally has now become sanitary patrol but he never performed his duty at RHC.
Presently he claimed that he was availing 730 days earned leave from 26-12-2016 to 25-12-2018 vide order 3092-94 dated 22 December 2016 of District Officer Health (DOH) DG Khan but on the other side of picture, he is illegally receiving full pay and allowances in leave period.
He illegally received the last salary of August -2018, Rs28519 as full pay and allowances. Moreover his leave order is fake and bogus because total sanctioned days and dates mentioned in the leave order are not as per law and are incorrect by calculation.
Talking to The Nation, Medical Officer Muhammad Ali said that since last year 2017, neither District Health Authority nor Punjab Health Facilities Management Company (PHFMC) has provided funds and medicines for RHC.
When approached District Officer Health Human Resource (HR) Dr Malik Riaz, he said the pay of Ghulam Shabir has been stopped and an inquiry committee would probe the leave order and his long absence.
To a question, he said that PHFMC would provide funds and medicines for all the nine RHCs in the district.
