ABBOTTABAD: The patients continued to suffer as strike by the doctors and nurses of Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad entered its fifth day on Tuesday.

The senior registrars, registrars, doctors and medical officers of the hospital went on strike five days ago after the relatives and attendants of a patient, who died at the hospital, scuffled with the health workers.

The relatives and parents of Israr, a resident of Mansehra suffering from dengue fever, blamed his death on the negligence of doctors and nurses.

The patients faced hardships as no services were provided to them owing to the strike. Even the out-patient department of the hospital remained closed. Usually about 3,000 patients visit the OPD of the hospital daily.

The patients complained that even emergency and OPD wards of the hospital were closed by the hospital administration that added to their miseries. The protesting employees of the hospital, led by Dr Amin, have been demanding enhanced security for the hospital and arrest of those attendants of the patients who scuffled with the staffers.

Ayub Medical Complex, one of the largest health facilities in Hazara division, caters to the needs of patients from Battagram, Kohistan, Mansehra, Torghar, Haripur, Havelian, Galyats and Azad Kashmir.

The patients from these far flung areas were forced to shift their patients to Islamabad and other parts of the country due to the strike of the hospital staff.

TEHSIL BUDGET: The tehsil council of Abbottabad passed its annual budget in haste amid opposition’s protest.

The convener of the tehsil council adjourned the session soon after the budget speech of the tehsil nazim, Ishaque.

The tehsil nazim presented the budget with total outlay of Rs333.627916 million of which Rs161.844 million was allocated for payment of salaries, Rs172.384 million for non-developmental expenditures and Rs18.399 million for developmental expenditure.

However, no details were provided as to how the amount would be utilised and how revenue would be generated.

Published in Dawn, October 14th , 2015

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