LANDI KOTAL: The doctors and paramedics at agency headquarters hospital here on Monday observed complete strike against prolonged and unscheduled power suspension.

The paramedics and other staffers suspended all types of services except providing emergency cover to the seriously ill patients. The doctors, however, remained off duty throughout the day after holding an emergency meeting early in the morning and later shutting down all the OPDs as mark of their protest.

The patients and their attendants faced hardships owing to the strike. A number of patients opted to go to Peshawar for treatment while few others admitted to different wards of the hospital packed their luggage and went home.

The protesting doctors and paramedics said in a statement that despite payment of regular electricity bills, electricity remained suspended for almost 20 hours on daily basis to all the hospital wards, laboratories, operation theatre, medicine store, offices and living quarters.

Doctors demand end to prolonged power loadshedding

The statement said that the strike would continue till the local grid station assured them of uninterrupted power supply to the hospital. The protesting doctors, however, attended their private clinics on the hospital premises.

Officials of Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company said that power supply to the hospital was temporarily suspended owing to nonpayment of monthly bills.

Ikramullah, a Tesco official, said that dues of Rs40 million were outstanding against the hospital for a long time. He said that power supply was suspended to selected portions of the hospital excluding emergency ward and OPDs. He added that power suspension would continue payment of all the bills.

WALK: The students and teachers of a government high school in Kum Shalman area of Landi Kotal arranged a walk to highlight the importance of education.

Speaking on the occasion, principal of the school Hassamud Din Afridi urged the local residents to get their children enrolled in schools. He demanded of the education department to provide all the basic facilities to government schools.

KILLED: A boy was killed and 14 people received injuries when unidentified persons hurled a hand grenade at a music party during a wedding ceremony in Jamrud late on Sunday evening.

The officials of Khasadar Force said that unidentified attackers targeted the house of Lalzada Torkhel in Gharheeza when his family was engaged in a music party during a wedding ceremony.

They said that 15 people sustained injuries and five of them were taken to hospital in critical condition. Hamidullah, a 10-year-old boy, later succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, Khasadar Force recovered mortars and rockets from a canal in Gharheeza locality of Jamrud on Monday. The ammunition was buried in the dry bed of the canal. The local residents informed khasadars after spotting the buried ammunition.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2016