Doctor absenteeism puts public healthcare under strain | The Express Tribune

For 40-year-old Shakir Khan, a resident of Charsadda, getting treatment for his father at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) has meant relying largely on trainee medical officers (TMOs).

His father has been hospitalised for seven days, but Shakir said senior consultants were rarely available beyond their morning rounds.

“Senior consultants make a round in the morning and then leave,” Shakir told The Express Tribune. “Most of the time, the patients are being attended by trainee doctors.”

Shakir’s experience reflects a broader concern among patients at major public teaching hospitals in Peshawar, who complain that senior doctors and technical staff are often unavailable during duty hours, raising questions over the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Patients at LRH, Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) allege that some senior doctors who are difficult to find at government hospitals remain readily available at their private clinics.

The issue was recently highlighted at HMC, where the hospital administration terminated the services of a doctor for allegedly failing to perform official duties while devoting substantial time to a private clinic.

HMC spokesperson Muhammad Wasim Khattak confirmed the action, saying the doctor had been dismissed over alleged failure to perform official duties while giving priority to private practice.

“The administration will not compromise on attendance, regardless of an employee’s position,” he said.

The concerns are also reflected in official monitoring data. According to the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) health performance report for 2025, 228 out of 390 doctors monitored were found absent from duty.

The report noted that although attendance was comparatively better in major urban centres, absenteeism was more pronounced in hospitals and health facilities in remote areas.

Hospital administrations, however, reject allegations of widespread absenteeism.

LRH spokesperson Muhammad Asim said senior doctors and consultants were available round the clock, particularly in the emergency department. He said the hospital receives thousands of patients every day and has an automated attendance system covering employees from support staff to the hospital director.

KTH spokesperson Sajjad Khan also maintained that doctors and consultants were available 24 hours a day. He said consultants were responsible not only for patient care but also for teaching at Khyber Medical College.

At HMC, Khattak said the administration had taken disciplinary action against the doctor precisely to ensure that employees fulfilled their official responsibilities.

A senior Health Department doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, attributed part of the problem to the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) system.

The doctor alleged that political considerations sometimes influenced the treatment of doctors, with some employees receiving privileges while others faced pressure.

Patients, meanwhile, say the consequences are felt most acutely by those who cannot afford private healthcare.

“Families visiting public hospitals expect senior consultants to remain available to oversee treatment, particularly in cases involving serious or prolonged illnesses,” shared Shakir.

The growing complaints over absenteeism have also raised questions about whether existing attendance and monitoring mechanisms are sufficient to ensure that doctors remain available to patients throughout their official working hours.

Repeated attempts by The Express Tribune to obtain comments from the provincial health minister regarding the complaints and the IMU findings went unanswered by the time this report was filed.