Dera Ismail Khan, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 27th Aug, 2026) Dera Civil Society has voiced serious concern over the reported deterioration in healthcare and administrative services at the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital Dera Ismail Khan, urging the provincial government and district administration to take immediate steps to improve the situation.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, the civil society representatives said patients and their attendants had repeatedly raised concerns regarding the availability of doctors and medical staff, medicines, cleanliness, electricity, medical equipment and other essential facilities at the hospital.
Chairman Dera Civil Society Justice (retired) Dawood Khan said the DHQ Teaching Hospital was a key healthcare facility for the people of Dera Ismail Khan and surrounding areas, making it imperative that its services remained functional, accessible and responsive to patients’ needs.
He called for a comprehensive and impartial assessment of the hospital’s medical, administrative and support services, saying that shortcomings affecting patient care should be identified and addressed without delay.
President Dera Civil Society Sohail Ahmed Azmi said particular attention was required at the emergency and trauma centre, where critically ill and injured patients needed immediate access to qualified doctors, essential medicines, medical equipment and other life-saving facilities.
He stressed that the availability of specialist doctors and trained medical personnel should be ensured round the clock, particularly in emergency units, so that patients could receive timely and appropriate treatment.
General Secretary Ali Muhammad Marwat called for strict monitoring of doctors’ and medical staff’s attendance and duty performance, besides ensuring uninterrupted availability of essential medicines, equipment, electricity, cleanliness and other basic services.
He said complaints regarding administrative negligence, irregularities or inappropriate behaviour towards patients should be investigated transparently and responsibility fixed wherever violations were established.
The civil society representatives maintained that people visiting a public-sector hospital should not require recommendations, influence or additional financial burden to access treatment. They said patients and their attendants had a right to receive healthcare services with dignity and without discrimination.
They demanded establishment of an effective 24-hour complaint mechanism at the hospital to promptly address grievances of patients and their attendants and improve accountability within the institution.
Dera Civil Society urged the provincial government, Health Department and district administration to initiate an emergency review of the hospital’s overall functioning and take practical measures to restore public confidence in the facility.
The representatives said the DHQ Teaching Hospital served a large population of Dera Ismail Khan and adjoining southern districts and therefore its effective functioning was essential for ensuring access to quality healthcare in the region.
