PESHAWAR: Questions have been raised over the availability of senior doctors and technical staff at major government teaching hospitals in Peshawar, with an Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) report also highlighting significant absenteeism among doctors.
According to the report, patients and their attendants at public hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have complained that some senior consultants become unavailable after conducting morning rounds, leaving much of the patient care to trainee doctors.
Gul Muhammad, a resident of Peshawar whose father has been receiving treatment at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for the past seven days, said senior consultants often leave after their morning rounds while trainee doctors handle patients for much of the day.
Patients have also alleged that some senior doctors at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) are not regularly available during government duty hours, while continuing to see patients at their private clinics.
Hayatabad Medical Complex recently took action against a doctor over alleged failure to perform government duties and spending more time at a private clinic. The hospital administration confirmed the doctor’s dismissal, saying it would not compromise on staff attendance or official responsibilities.
IMU Report Highlights Absenteeism
The IMU’s 2025 Health Performance Report found that 228 out of 390 monitored doctors were recorded as absent during monitoring visits.
The report said attendance was comparatively better in major urban centres, while absenteeism was more prevalent at hospitals and health facilities in remote areas.
However, hospital administrations have rejected allegations of widespread doctor absenteeism.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim said senior doctors and consultants remain available around the clock, particularly in emergency services. He added that the hospital has an automated attendance system covering employees from support staff to the hospital director.
Sajjad Khan, spokesperson for the Khyber Teaching Hospital, has also confirmed that doctors and consultants are available round the clock. He further clarified that consultants not only offer medical treatment but also teach at the Khyber Medical College.
A senior doctor from the Health Department, speaking anonymously, has also said that some of these problems are related to the Medical Teaching Institutions scheme. The official alleged that complaints had emerged of doctors being treated differently in some cases due to political influence.
Patients Demand Stronger Monitoring
Patients and their families said the unavailability of senior doctors at public hospitals has the greatest impact on low-income families who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals or clinics.
They called for the existing attendance and monitoring mechanisms to be strengthened to ensure that doctors remain available to patients during official duty hours and provide the required medical care.
The controversy has renewed calls for greater accountability and effective monitoring of attendance at government-run teaching hospitals across the province.
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