July 23, 2007	Monday	Rajab 07, 1428

UPPER DIR, July 22: People surviving the thunderstorm and flash flood in Dir, which killed more than 55 people, have assailed the apathy of doctors working for the district headquarters hospital.

People have so far retrieved 43 dead bodies from the debris of collapsed houses.

The Edhi Foundation has dispatched its teams to the affected area for gathering information about the extent of damages caused by lightning and flash flood.

We have brought in more shrouds and medicines in addition to five ambulances. We will bring in more relief goods once we gather information about the destruction, said Sher Gul, the in-charge of the Peshawar circle of the foundation.

The injured people complained that they were not given proper treatment at the DHQ in Upper Dir. The quality of treatment is poor. We were not given standard treatment at the hospital. There were no special arrangements for us, a seriously wounded, Akbar Zada, complained.

He said doctors did not attend him at the hospital while he, his wife and three other injured were screaming in pain. The victims, he said, were still traumatised by the loss of their family members.

Akbar Zada was unable to recall his name correctly during the interview. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he recollected how his three children had died.

We were hit by the flood unawares. I was buried in the rubble up to my neck. I was unable to do anything despite seeing that my wife was badly injured. My infant boy was killed in my wife’s lap. My mother was also besides me in a wounded condition and my two other children were also killed. I was thinking that I would also be killed any moment but somehow I survived, Akbar narrated.

He said that no government official had helped them. His brother, Akbar Ali, and nephew, Liaqat, complained about the doctors’ uncaring attitude.

Last night, they had been screaming in pain but no doctor bothered to examine them, they alleged.

They said that no official of provincial or district governments had bothered to come to the hospital. They said that while ambulances were parked at the relief camp, but there was no one to drive them.

They said that loudspeakers were used to seek the services of drivers but no one came forward and they had to take their wounded family members to Dir in a private vehicle.