BANNU: Tensions have escalated between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Young Doctors Association (YDA) over the affairs of the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Bannu, with both sides trading serious allegations regarding the management of public hospitals.

Addressing an emergency press conference at the Bannu Press Club, PTI Youth Wing leaders, including Nek Rahman and Farhan Khan, accused protesting doctors and the MTI administration of mismanagement and corruption. They claimed that efforts were underway to reform the healthcare system after more than a decade of alleged neglect.

The PTI leaders alleged that certain doctors were prioritizing their private clinics over their duties at public hospitals, resulting in delays in treatment and hardship for patients. They further claimed that expensive medical equipment had been deliberately kept non-functional or subjected to unnecessary repair work to generate financial gains and divert patients to private facilities.

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The leaders also raised concerns over alleged financial irregularities, including misuse of funds, questionable hiring practices, and corruption in the Sehat Card programme. They alleged that patients were overcharged for medicines and medical procedures, causing significant losses to the public exchequer.

Regarding the removal of the former Managing Director (MD), the PTI representatives said an inquiry had been initiated against him and claimed that further investigations were underway. They alleged that the former MD had appointed individuals from his native district and vowed to oppose his return to Bannu.

The PTI leaders also criticized the condition of healthcare facilities, claiming that the MRI machine at Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital has remained non-operational since 2019, forcing patients to seek costly diagnostic services from private centers.

Responding to allegations that they entered a nursing hostel while armed, the PTI representatives denied the claims, stating that they were unarmed and had only gone to meet the MD. They questioned why the MD was allegedly residing in a building designated as a nursing hostel.

The leaders further alleged that MTI administrators were receiving substantial monthly benefits while key facilities such as the trauma center and cath lab remained underfunded. They called for greater employment opportunities for local residents of Bannu Division and demanded that the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital be returned to the provincial government's control.

Concluding the press conference, the PTI leaders vowed to continue their campaign for reforms in Bannu's healthcare system and said they would persist in efforts to ensure better medical services for the public.

The allegations made by PTI leaders could not be independently verified, and no immediate response from the Young Doctors Association or MTI administration was available at the time of filing this report.