Shortage of funds has impeded the operations of the Mardan children’s hospital in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials revealed. Despite functional wards in the hospital’s OPD, work on the main building, meant to offer specialized services, is still ongoing due to a lack of government funds.
Officials highlighted a scarcity of beds at the hospital, with three to four children often sharing a single bed, leading to challenges in patient care, especially during times of insufficient supplemental oxygen. The government had sanctioned a 200-bed children’s hospital at Mardan Medical Complex in 2011, with completion expected by 2014. However, delays persist, impacting patient care at the overburdened 50-bed children and 45-bed nursery units.
The hospital’s completion deadline has been repeatedly postponed, yet the facility remains non-operational, prompting officials to urge government intervention, emphasizing that a significant portion of the work has already been finished. Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, Sindh province, government hospitals are struggling to provide basic healthcare due to severe shortages of medicines, diagnostic tools, and functional medical equipment, leading patients to seek costly treatment in private facilities.
