Patients suffer as Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital runs short of funds

PESHAWAR: The biggest medical facility in Peshawar is facing a shortage of funds, which has resulted in additional problems for patients.

Despite the provincial government’s promises, the Lady Reading Hospital has failed to provide affordable healthcare to the poor and needy.

The administration confirmed the hospital faces a shortage of medicines and the patients have to purchase them separately from the nearby markets.

According to the hospital’s medical director Dr Mukhtiar Zaman, the hospital had asked the KP government for funds worth Rs5 billion, of which only Rs1 billion was dispatched.

The hospital purchased medicines worth Rs200 million but the process has been halted due to shortage of funds.

Dr Zaman said medicines worth Rs340 million were provided to patients in the past year.

Among other issues, the hospital lacks an ICU dedicated for a significant number of children admitted to the hospital on everyday basis.

According to the hospital, approximately 6,000 patients from across the province and FATA visit for OPD services, out of which 1,000 patients are children. About 80 to 100 children are admitted to the hospital, however, there is no separate ICU facility for children admitted for critical issues.

The children are admitted to the general ICU facility where there is already a shortage of beds and facilities.

The hospital’s condition remains abysmal despite announcement by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to transform the hospital on the lines of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.

Despite introduction of reforms and increment in salaries of employees, no concrete changes can be seen in the hospital.