Rising pressure on tertiary care: KP govt urged to strengthen district hospitals

Peshawar: Expressing concerns over alarming gaps in gastroenterology and hematology services across the province, the Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology (PSG), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, on Tuesday urged the government to strengthen district and tehsil hospitals to reduce mounting pressure on tertiary care centres.

The society warned that the shortage of specialist doctors and essential medical infrastructure was severely affecting patient care, particularly for Hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, and gastrointestinal cancers.

PSG leaders, including vice-president Dr Arshad Jadoon, senior councilor Dr Kamran Hassan, and councilors Dr Sarwar Khan, Dr Naimatullah and Dr Muhammad Faheem, said most district and tehsil hospitals lack basic endoscopy equipment, dedicated Gastrointestinal (GI) units, and laboratories for essential tests. They also noted that consultant gastroenterologists are concentrated in tertiary hospitals, leaving local facilities understaffed and forcing patients to travel long distances for treatment.