18-HAZARI: Healthcare facilities have become a major concern for residents of Tehsil 18-Hazari as the Rural Health Centre (RHC) Rodu Sultan is facing an acute shortage of doctors, medicines and sanitation facilities.
According to available details, seven out of nine sanctioned doctor posts at the RHC are lying vacant. The health facility is currently serving a population of more than 50,000 with only two doctors available, creating difficulties for patients seeking medical treatment.
The vacant posts include one Medical Officer, two Senior Medical Officers, one Additional Medical Principal, one Women Medical Officer and two Dental Surgeons. The prolonged shortage of medical staff has placed an additional burden on the available doctors and patients.
Residents have also expressed concern over the shortage of medicines at the health centre. Patients visiting the facility reportedly have to purchase essential items, including syringes, from private medical stores due to their unavailability at the hospital.
The sanitation situation at the health centre has also become a source of concern, with piles of garbage reportedly present at different locations within the facility, causing inconvenience to patients and their attendants.
Local residents have urged the Punjab government and the Health Department to fill all vacant doctor posts at the earliest, ensure adequate supplies of essential medicines and improve sanitation arrangements at the RHC Rodu Sultan.
Residents said immediate attention was required to ensure that the health facility could provide adequate medical services to the large population dependent on it.
Reported By: Asif Shahzad I 18-Hazari , Jhnag
