TNN - TRIBAL NEWS NETWORK Logo
Home News Lack of X-ray Machine at Bajaur Hospital Leaves Patients in Distress

Lack of X-ray Machine at Bajaur Hospital Leaves Patients in Distress

Doctors require an x-ray to assess the leg injury's severity before treatment, a common issue faced by all thirteen lakh residents of Bajaur district.
By Muhammad Bilal Yasir - 25 Mar, 2024 2215
lack-of-x-ray-machine-at-bajaur-hospital-leaves-patients-in-distress

Forty-year-old Gul Zaman stands outside the emergency department of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Khar Bajaur, holding his grandson in one hand and a doctor's slip in the other. His grandson needs an x-ray for his injured leg, but the hospital's machine is broken. Unable to access a private laboratory due to nighttime closures, Gul Zaman must comfort his moaning grandson until morning.

Hailing from the Badalai area of Tehsil Mamund, Gul Zaman rushed his seven-year-old grandson Hamza to the hospital after a car collision left him seriously injured. Doctors require an x-ray to assess the leg injury's severity before treatment, a common issue faced by all thirteen lakh residents of Bajaur district.

Ajmal Khan, a resident of Inayat Qala, laments that many patients cannot afford private lab X-rays and are often referred to distant hospitals in Peshawar or Timergarah, exacerbating both costs and delays. He emphasizes the necessity of a functioning X-ray machine in government hospitals, particularly for medico-legal examinations of injury victims.

Also Read: Low Women Voter Turnout in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elections Raises Concerns

With only one Category B hospital serving the entire district and three Category D hospitals facing staffing and functionality issues, the burden falls heavily on Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Khar, which has been without a functioning X-ray machine for three months. Despite efforts by Dr. Wazir Khan Safi, MS of the hospital, to procure and install a new machine, bureaucratic hurdles have impeded progress, leaving patients reliant on costly private alternatives.

Dr. Safi has tirelessly advocated for machine repair, submitting written requests to relevant authorities, yet no action has been taken. Recent promises by MPA Dr. Hameed-ur-Rehman and Anwarzeb Khan's son offer hope for the ongoing crisis.