UPPER DIR: People from rural areas here have complained that lack of doctors in the basic health units (BHUs) have been causing problems for them, urging the government to take notice and provide the needed staff.

Speaking at a forum organised by Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment, a resident Mohammad Nawaz said that the BHU in Dobando area in Qulandi union council was lying virtually closed from the last two years as it had no doctor and other staff.

He said that it was the main health facility in the remote and mountainous area, but still the government failed to ensure provision of staff and facilities for its operation.

Hakimullah from Barawal Bandi said that the hospital in his locality lacked sufficient staff and had no waiting room for female patients.

He also said there was no slaughterhouse in the town and butchers were slaughtering animals at streams.

Gul Wali said that streams in Tarpatar in Usherai Darra were polluted by some residents who had laid drainage pipes from their houses to the stream.

He called for action against people who had been polluting clean water of local streams.

Anwaruddin, chairman of Tahaffuz Committee of Almas in Usherai Darra, said that lack of female teachers at the government primary school, Almas, was ruining the future of girl students.

“There is only one teacher for over 300 students. Humanly it is not possible for one person to even control so many students,” he said.

Meanwhile, District Bar Association president Javed Iqbal said that Insaf committees and the bar had been in contact to resolve disputes in communities.

He said the committees were capable of resolving small disputes without bringing them to courts.

He said that they were helping poor litigants in providing free legal assistance.