ON Dec 23, the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry held a concert on the premises of the CMH where the college is located. We live a kilometre away from the hospital and on the concert evening, from about 6pm to 10pm, had to tolerate the deafening noise of amplified music.

When we were so adversely affected and had such an unpleasant evening, what the residents who live closer to the hospital than we do, and the hospital staff, must have gone through. But my heart especially goes out to the helpless inpatients, some of whom may have been a few breaths away from death, who were forced to endure the loud thumping musical blast taking place just metres away from them. We all know that when we are unwell — especially so unwell to be requiring hospitalisation — we need rest and peace. The last thing we need is ear-splitting music, or should I say, noise.

Dr Nighat Faruqi
Lahore

OVERLAPPING EXAMS: The Central Superior Services (CSS) screening test has been scheduled to be held on Feb 20, while the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has also scheduled its test for English lecturers with 249 seats in the same month. Although it is a golden opportunity for those interested, the overlapping of dates would be a hurdle. It will be next to impossible for the aspirants to take both the exams. The relevant authorities should reschedule one of the tests.

Aazram Mehreen
Gujranwala

INSECURE CITY: Quetta has recently witnessed another tragic terrorism incident which left four people dead and 13 injured. The city has been suffering from such incidents for long, raising questions over the efficiency of security forces that are present in just about every nook and cranny of the city. The authorities concerned should take practical steps to protect people’s lives.

Waseem
Khuzdar

BURNS CENTRE: Turbat is the second most populated city of Balochistan. There is a teaching hospital here, but the city lacks a burns centre. On a daily basis, several incidents of gas cylinder blasts occur in Turbat and a large number of victims lose their lives because they do not get timely treatment. If a dedicated burns centre is not feasible, the government should at least establish a burns unit within the existing district headquarters (DHQ) hospital for timely treatment of local victims.

Salma Dolat
Turbat

MISMANAGEMENT: There are 12 law colleges affiliated with the University of Sindh. However, the university has failed to conduct regular examinations in these colleges, and it does not allow them to conduct the examinations by themselves. The ongoing mismanagement has led to a backlog of two semesters. We are a whole year behind the schedule. The vice-chancellor of the University of Sindh should look into the matter and help us enter the professional phase of our lives.

Samiullah
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2022