HYDERABAD: Poor conditions of hospital deplored: Dist council session
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, May 30: The Hyderabad District Council here on Thursday demanded of the Sindh government to take notice of poor conditions prevailing in the Sir Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry .
The council session took up the resolution of labour councillor Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, pointing out deteriorating conditions of the hospital where, according to him, patients did not get any attention of doctors.
He said that it was a common complaint that the patients did not get medicines and substandard food was provided to them and added that worst conditions were prevalent in the women’s ward.
Quoting news reports about the hospital visit of Deputy Speaker, Sindh Assembly, Rahila Tiwana, the labour councillor said that hospital lacked facilities and its staff outnumbered the patients.
Sher Mohammad Pirzada, whose union council covers the hospital area, endorsed the views of Mr Khan.
The session also adopted another resolution of Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi, calling for restoration of Indian visa facility in Karachi and reopening the Khokhrapar railway route for India so that less expensive travelling could be ensured.
On a point of order, Qazi Hakim opposed the resolution, saying that such resolutions did not fall in the ambit of the council.
Mr Khan disagreed with Mr Hakim on the ground that a large number of the people, including those of Hyderabad, were affected by the absence of Indian visa office in Karachi as they had to go to Islamabad for the purpose.
The district council also unanimously passed yet another resolution, calling for review of Umra policy by Saudi government.
The mover of the resolution pointed out that according to the new Umra policy, every faithful would have to pay additional charges, if his / her stay exceeded beyond five days which meant deposit of another Rs10,192.
He said that the Saudi government should give maximum facilities to the faithful instead of increasing Umra expenses.
He called on the Pakistan government to take up the matter with the Saudi government.
Through a resolution presented by Saira Naseer, the session felicitated Dr Irfan Gul Magsi on becoming Sindh minister for Zakat, Ushr, Auqaf, religious and minority affairs.
COUNCILLORS ATTITUDE: Convenor District Council Hyderabad Nawab Rashid Ali Khan on Thursday deplored the attitude of some women councillors on the occasion of address of the Sindh minister for local bodies & katcha abadis on Wednesday.
Presiding over the session of the council, he said that members were expected to give respect to their guests.
He maintained that members had no powers to criticize the guests regardless of the fact that he was powerful or powerless.
Mr Khan told the members that they should not always gatecrash to his office whenever any official or government representative was holding discussion with him.
