SUKKUR, Jan 20: Hundreds of workers belonging to different political parties and social welfare organisations staged a demonstration in front of Civil Hospital Sukkur on Tuesday, against lack of medicines and facilities and indifferent attitude of the doctors and nursing staff.

The activists of Sunni Tehrik, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz, Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Shahree Ittehad, Citizen Welfare Organisation, Small traders and others gathered outside the hospital and shouted slogans against the doctors and health authorities.

Talking to the journalists the protestors complained of indifferent attitude of the doctors and nursing staff with the patients and alleged that neither the poor patients were being provided medicines, nor the doctors and nursing staff pay attention towards them. Blaming the doctors of running their private clinics, they said that instead of serving the patients in the civil hospital, they advise them to visit their private clinics.

They further alleged that the doctors and staff of the Civil Hospital were involved in selling medicines to the medical stores, while no medicines are provided to the poor and needy patients. Besides this, they said that, there were no sufficient beds to accommodate patients and bathrooms were unhygienic, thus posing a threat to the lives of patients and their attendants. They demanded of the Sindh government and health minister to take notice of the highhandedness of the doctors and nursing staff.

Two arrested: Sukkur police have arrested two members of a car lifters gang after an encounter at Sukkur-Shikarpur road near Jogi Farm in the jurisdiction of Tamachani police station, near Sukkur on Tuesday.

According to the DPO Sukkur Sharjeel Kharal, two armed robbers signalled Abdul Sattar who was coming towards Sukkur in his car near Jogi Farm. He sped up the vehicle and on this the armed robbers opened fire but he narrowly escaped and informed a police party of Tamachani police station about the incident.

The robbers opened fire on the police party when it reached on the spot which was retaliated.

According to the DPO, police arrested both the armed robbers after a brief encounter who were identified as Waseem S/o Abdul Ghani Mahar and Zaheer S/o Abdul Qadir Mahar.

Police have also recovered two TT pistols, magazines and rounds from their possession, he added. He further claimed that both the accused were the members of a car lifters gang. Further investigations were underway.