June 14, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1428

DADU, June 13: A large number of citizens, social workers and activists of political parties here on Wednesday began a 200-kilometre long march from Dadu to Hyderabad against doctors, paramedical staff and administration of the Civil Hospital of Dadu for denying basic facilities to patients and sale of hospital medicines at private medical stores and death of six children in the hospital due to alleged negligence of doctors.

They also staged a demonstration outside the local press club formally starting the march.

The march was led by President of the Young Citizen Welfare Association, Qaim Ali Siyal, social workers Mauladad Lund, Abdul Khaliq Jatoi and Aijaz Malkani.

Speaking at Khudabad town, Qaim Ali Siyal alleged that officials of the Civil Hospital were not providing medicines to deserving patients and selling the same to private medical stores.

He said that citizens were holding protests for the last three months against the hospital management but no action has so far been taken against them.

He held the doctors and paramedical staff responsible for the death of six children.

He announced to observe hunger strike outside Hyderabad press club for three days and said that later they would protest outside the office of Director-General of Health Services, Sindh.

Another social worker, Rajab Azad alleged that health officials had embezzled million of rupees from different heads of hospital budget and sought an intervention by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into the matter.

When contacted, the Civil Surgeon Dr Ghous Ali Shah, said that the children who had died in the hospital few days back were pre-mature.

He said that these children were brought to the hospital in serious conditions.

He further said that untrained birth attendants had carried out deliveries in improper ways which resulted into their death.