CHINIOT: The lone eye specialist in Chiniot has been directed by the government to perform duty in Faisalabad for a month.

With a population of 1.6 million, Chiniot has only one eye surgeon serving at the DHQ Hospital. Posts of eye specialists at tehsil headquarters hospitals in Lalian and Bhowana and other rural health centres are lying vacant.

Eye surgeon Dr Mujeeb Ahmad works at the District Headquarters Hospital where around 150 patients visit the outpatient department daily and 30 surgeries are conducted weekly.

But the hospital administration received a letter from the health secretary on Friday that a free eye camp had been organised at Salarwala in Faisalabad district from March 1 to 31 and directed Dr Ahmad to report there for that duration.

Faisalabad has Allied Hospital, DHQ Hospital and a number of public sector hospitals with over 100 eye surgeons.

Pakistan Medical Association President Dr Abid Yasin demanded the order be reversed as thousands of patients would suffer in the absence of the eye specialist.

District Health Officer Dr Munir Ahmad confirmed orders had been received and conveyed to the DHQ Hospital for necessary action.

Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Munawwar Chaudhry said he had no information about the order, while District Coordination Officer Dr Irshad Ahmad also feigned ignorance about the letter.

People of the area have demanded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif take notice of the order and direct the authorities concerned to reverse this decision and instead get doctors from Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, for the free medical camp.