PESHAWAR, Nov 1: The take-over of a number of basic health units by police and their subsequent ‘permanent’ presence not only harasses patients but also deter them from going there for treatment.

A health department official said: “Police have occupied (at least) five basic health unit buildings in the city. The authorities concerned took no action when we brought the issue to their notice,” he said.

Citing the example of the BHU in the Pakha Ghulam area, he said that the police had been using the unit for the past three years. The official said that the BHU had not been vacated despite the fact that several letters had been written to senior police and health department officials.

Similarly, people were scared to visit the BHU in the Mathra area because of the police presence. Before the unit was taken-over by the police, it used to receive about 100 patients a day but now only 20 or so visit the dispensary.

Another official said that while the police had taken over three residential quarters, the local nazim ‘occupied’ the bungalow of the medical officer for his office. Sources said that the quarters ‘occupied’ by police were meant for lady health visitor, dispenser and watchman.

“Even if there is an emergency, the lady health visitor is reluctant to stay overnight because of the police presence, affecting women patients needing urgent medical attention,” the official said. He said the health department had not only complained to the police officials, but also to the DCO and the district nazim.

The department, he said, was also facing problems in getting the BHU in the Chughar Matti area vacated because its compound also housed a substantial residential area.

According to him, patients felt insecure visiting the health facility because of police sentries posted at its entrance. Its three residential quarters were in police use for the past three years despite several complaints to the authorities concerned, he said.

Sources in the health department told this correspondent that the BHU in the Regi area was also being illegally used by police for the past two and a half years. Police, he said, was also using its residential quarters meant to accommodate doctors, paramedics and lady health visitor.

Sources said that the BHUs were intended to provide treatment to the local people and save them from the inconvenience of going all the way to teaching hospitals in the city. But now, the people were forced to visit main hospitals even for minor diseases.

The police officials, he said, were not only using the BHU premises but they were also using their equipment. “They (the police officials) use BHU’s air-conditioners but Wapda sends electricity bills to the office of the EDO (health),” said a source.