No female ultra sound specialist at LRH a matter of concern

Wisal Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, the biggest government hospital of the province, has been running its gynae ward without a female ultrasound specialist, The Frontier Post learnt on Wednesday. Moreover, the gynae ward also lacks the female technicians as the eco and other tests are being done by male technicians.

The government has been claiming the change in the health sector however the condition of the LRH’s gynae ward negates these claims. With no proper sitting arrangements for the female attendants of the patients, and poor cleanliness and hygienic condition of the ward also is a matter of concern.

A visitor Jamal Khan from Swabi talking to The Frontier Post said that there was no facility of female ultra sound and there was no female technician in the ward. He said that in the evening shift male technicians were doing the ultra sound of female patients which was against the religious and cultural norms. He further said that he took his patient outside the hospital to do the ultrasound and other such investigations from female experts.

He criticized the ‘so called’ KP government’s health reforms and said that for the last more than four years the government failed to improve the condition hospitals in the province.

It is to mention here that few months ago a male ultra sound technician was arrested after being beaten by the relatives of a female patient for alleged sexual harassment to the patient.

Even after such a serious incident, the hospital authorities have closed their eyes towards such an important issue and problems being faced by the female patients.

Majority of the patients and their attendants when contacted by this scribe appealed to the administration of LRH to immediately appoint female ultrasound specialist and technicians to provide better healthcare facilities to the female patients.