Chitral ignored in recruitment for medics

CHITRAL: The Health Department has ignored Chitral in recent recruitment drive for medical professionals.

Out of the 115 advertised positions for medical officers and 51 positions for specialists on a fixed salary basis, not a single post was allocated to either Lower Chitral or Upper Chitral.Instead, all these positions were distributed among districts such as Mardan, Charsadda, Batkhela, Haripur, Lakki Marwat, and Landikotal.

Currently, 48 out of 120 positions for doctors and specialists are vacant at the District Headquarters Hospital in Chitral, the only major hospital serving the combined population of 700,000 in both districts.

Chitral remains one of the most remote districts in the province, often cut off from the rest of the region due to the closure of the Lowari Pass. In such situations, transporting critically ill or injured patients to Peshawar becomes nearly impossible.

Social circles expressed deep concern and disappointment over the government’s neglect, pointing out that instead of upgrading facilities at the existing DHQ Hospital or establishing a similar hospital in Booni, Upper Chitral, the region has been completely overlooked.

Sources within the Health Department revealed that due to a large number of vacant posts, the hospital’s salary budget is often returned to the government treasury. This unspent budget, accumulated over years, is now being diverted to create new posts in more developed districts.

Social circles have criticized the government’s biased decision, highlighting that Landikotal is just a 30-minute drive from well-equipped hospitals in Peshawar, while Mardan already has the state-of-the-art Bacha Khan Medical Complex, established during the Awami National Party government. Similarly, despite no reported vacancies, more specialist positions have been allocated to Batkhela Hospital.

Residents of Chitral have said that this decision naturally fuels feelings of deprivation and injustice.They said they had been particularly disheartened by the silence of their elected provincial representatives on such a critical issue.