MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission on Friday sealed four illegal clinics and issued notices to dozens of others functioning without the government’s approval.

The action comes as part of a crackdown on unlicensed health facilities in Hazara division, according to HCC senior inspector Imtiaz Ali.

Mr Ali led a team of the HCC during a surprise visit to clinics and diagnostic centres in Mansehra, Baffa-Pakhal, Oghi and Balakot tehsils.

He toldreporters here that the commission won’t allow anyone to play with people’s health by illegal practice.

Another team member, inspector Imtiaz Adnan, said the HCC registered clinics, medical stores, labs and dental clinics in the province.

He said the healthcare providers given notice would have to ensure their registration with the commission in a fortnight to prevent permanent closure.

Mr Adnan said the registration was possible online.

He said no health or diagnostic centre would be allowed to function in the district without licence.

STRIKE: Transporters on Friday warned if the Regional Transport Authority in Hazara Division didn’t withdraw the recently issued fare list, then they would go on a wheel jam strike.

“The RTA decreased transport fares without taking record inflation and soaring prices of petroleum products and compressed natural gas into consideration. This unjustified move is unacceptable to us,” Hazara Transporters Union president Jan Alam told reporters here.

Accompanied by other office-bearers of the union, Mr Alam said a delegation of transporters from Hazara Division and other parts of the province would take up the issue with the transport secretary in a meeting in Peshawar on Monday and if the issue remained unresolved, transporters would observe a complete wheel jam strike across the province.

“If commuters face the brunt of record inflation, then transporters, too, are struggling to continue with their business, especially when petroleum and CNG prices have hit all-time high,” he said.

On the occasion, general secretary of the union Pervez Khan Swati said transporters didn’t follow the fares recently revised by the RTI in Hazara division.

He complained about the escalating fuel prices, which, he said, had made the transport business unfeasible.

Mr Swati said the RTA in Hazara Division was issuing more and more licenses for establishing bus stands and terminals but that should happen only after the protection of the rights of transporters in Mansehra and Balakot.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2023