KOHAT: The social and political circles here have asked the provincial government and elected representatives from the district to take steps for improving treatment facilities in the Women and Children Hospital (WCH) where medicines are not available even in the emergency ward for serious patients.

Meanwhile, in a rebuttal to the allegations of tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor Khan the hospital administration said that only one dispenser was working in the emergency ward instead of four as claimed by him.

An official requesting anonymity said on Thursday that orders had been issued for the transfer of four dispensers from KDA district headquarters hospital to WCH, but they were not taking charge due to their influence and strong backing of the paramedics association.

He said that only one dispenser was running from room to room to administer emergency treatment to the patients. This scribe saw a patient who was administered a drip with much difficulty in the absence of electricity due to loadshedding and non-functioning generator in the hospital.

The Women and Children Hospital lacks medicines, nursing staff

A serious thing was noted in the emergency when a doctor told this scribe to bring all injections from the bazaar because those available in the hospital had very little efficacy. He said that all medicines were provided to the hospital by the provincial health department.

Similarly, a poster displayed in the emergency ward reads that all heart patients should go to the KDA hospital. However, a question arises how would a patient know that he is going to have a heart attack? The residents have demanded that a shuttle ambulance service should be started between the two hospitals for the serious patients.

TWO DIE ON ROAD: An Afghan refugee woman and her son were crushed to death by a speeding pick-up van near Jawaki Banda on Hangu road on Thursday.

The cantonment police identified the two as Bibi Amna and her 11-year-old son Yasirullah. The police have registered a case against the driver.

In another case, one Ismail Khan, a resident of Orakzai Agency, was gunned down by unknown man in Dheri Banda. Cousin of the deceased, Zafarullah, has registered an FIR of the case with Bilitang police station.

Meanwhile, Kohat police arrested 297 suspects, including 230 violators of Section 144, during an operation in parts of the city. Two Kalashnikovs, two repeaters, five rifles, 24 pistols and hundreds of cartridges were also seized during the operation.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2016