11 years on, Sialkot SS Hospital sans specialist doctors.

SIALKOT -- Industrial workers-turned-patients and their dependents has been suffering from great ordeal in getting advanced medical treatment due to prolonged unavailability of consultant and specialists doctors at Cardiologist, Gynaecologist, and Radiologist departments of Social Security Hospital Sialkot since its establishment in 2008 (eleven years ago).

Despite lapse of a decade, the Punjab government has failed ensure early appointments against vacant posts of specialists doctors in Social Security Hospital and facilitate the industrial workers.

The Punjab government had established Social Security Hospital Sialkot on August 20,2008 for providing advanced medical facilities to all registered industrial workers and their dependents at local level under the supervision of Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI).

According to Dr Tayyub Sarwar Mir, Medical Superintendent Social Security Hospital Sialkot, the posts of consultants/specialists including Cardiologist, Gynaecologist, and Radiologist, have been lying vacant at this 100 beds Social Security Hospital Sialkot since its establishment, virtually depriving the poor industrial workers and family of quality healthcare. He said that most of the patients have to be referred to other Social Security Hospitals due to unavailability of specialist doctors.

He maintained that as many as 50,000 registered industrial workers and their dependents are dependent on the hospital for medical and health facilities.

The MS added that 600-700 outdoor patients (OPD) visit the hospital on a daily basis and the number of patients is on the rise with each passing day. He said that as many as 36,000 patients were provided medical services in the OPD from July 1,2019 till date.

The medical superintendent informed that posts of medical officers (MOs) and women medical officers (WMOs)...