RAWALPINDI, Jan 16: Terming the arrangements here in public hospitals pathetic, the Army authorities have asked the health department to immediately rectify the situation, Dawn learnt on Wednesday.

The assessment was carried out to determine the state of preparedness of the three hospitals in the city in wake of the volatile situation on the borders. The hospitals were put on alert on December 28 last.

In a letter to the health department, it has been said that all the hospitals are poorly staffed, overburdened and inadequately equipped.

“The equipment required to cope with the emergency situation has not been procured so far,” the letter added.

“The only thing which has been done by these hospitals is the reservation of beds and no additional facilities have been made so far to handle the casualties.”

It is learnt that when all the preparations were in place for purchase of new equipment, a directive was issued from the provincial health department to deposit all the funds with the provincial government.

As a result of this, all the measures which were being taken in connection with the present situation came to a standstill, the military officials disclosed.

The report prepared by the military officials says: “The insistence of the health department on shifting the funds to the provincial government would entail lot of delay, which cannot be afforded at this stage.”

It is also learnt that despite the special request made by the army, the provincial health department replied, “it is adamant that the funds should be deposited with it and a separate case should then be moved for the release of an equivalent grant.

Besides, the shortage of equipment in these hospitals, electro-medical equipment worth millions of rupees is out of order, it is reliably learnt.

The medical superintendents of these hospitals, when contacted, said they had made the best possible arrangements under this situation.