South Punjab DHQ Hospitals Grapple with Insufficient Resources For Diagnostic Services

APP

Multan: District Headquarters Hospitals (DHQ) Emergencies in South Punjab struggle to provide essential diagnostic services such as X-rays and MRIs, especially during evening shifts, due to inadequate resources and staff shortages.

Meanwhile, the lack of modern emergency services, especially neurosurgical facilities, at DHQ hospitals in south Punjab is posing a severe threat to the lives of head-injury patients but also leads to a regrettable number of fatalities during the transit to larger medical centres.

The predominantly poor population of South Punjab relies on motorcycles for transportation, making head injuries a prevalent consequence of accidents.

Unfortunately, the majority of DHQ hospitals, including Vehari, Khanewal, Rajanpur, Layyah, and some others, lack the essential expertise to handle such emergencies, resulting in the referral of patients to larger hospitals like Nishtar Hospital and Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital. This, in turn, places an overwhelming burden on these major healthcare institutions.

The financial strain on impoverished individuals is further exacerbated as they are compelled to spend significant amounts on travel to Nishtar Hospital in Multan or Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital, said different citizens, including Shoukat Khan, Muhammad Asif, Ishnaaq, Shahid Razzaq, Muhammad Khalid, Saad Qureshi, and some others.

This further hampers the timely and accurate diagnosis of patients, contributing to the overall healthcare crisis in the region.

The current state of affairs is a burning issue, and it demands immediate attention and resolution from all parties concerned.

The official sources maintained that work on some big hospitals, including Nishtar II, is in progress. Besides this, funds have also been allocated to improve healthcare at DHQ hospitals across the region.

The citizens maintained that adequate investment in neurosurgical facilities, diagnostic equipment and medical staff for DHQ hospitals is imperative to address the pressing healthcare needs of the population in South Punjab.

Failure to do so jeopardises the lives of patients and perpetuates the cycle of financial strain on already vulnerable communities, they remarked.

The government is urged to take swift and comprehensive action to alleviate this healthcare crisis and ensure the well-being of the people in South Punjab.