KOHAT: Liaqat Memorial Hospital would have another children ward, as the hospital management has been directed to make use of the available space at the health facility.

This was announced by the medical superintendent of KDA divisional headquarters, Dr Zaman Khan Afridi, during a visit to the LMH on Sunday.

He expressed anguish over the dirty conditions at the hospital, particularly in the children ward, and directed the hospital’s deputy superintendent Dr Safdar to make use of empty wards after cleaning them to accommodate children.

He also took notice of the complaints patients suffered at children and women wards and labour room due to apathy of doctors and nursing staff.

Meanwhile, Kohat deputy commissioner Amjad Ali Khan also paid a surprise visit to the LMH, best known as women and children hospital, and expressed anger over the dirty conditions prevailing at the health facility.

He asked the deputy superintendent of the hospital Dr Safdar to keep the wards, galleries and emergency rooms neat and clean.

He also phoned Kohat assistant commissioner, Farrukh Attique and ordered him to get the private rooms at the hospital vacated which have been in use of different NGOs.

The deputy commissioner also visited the children ward where patients complained of loadshedding.

They informed him that an NGO had provided a generator for the hospital but it could not be run for want of diesel.

On the occasion, the deputy commissioner ordered release of Rs1 million for refurbishment of wards at the hospital.

VILLAGERS WITHOUT WATER: The Mirbash Khel village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly deputy speaker’s constituency has been facing water shortage for last four years despite approval of Rs7.8 million for the purpose.

Mohammad Iqbal, a former councillor, told Dawn on Sunday that Rs6 million were approved by the provincial government for installation of a tube well in Mirbash Khel village of Shahpur union council.

However, when the public health engineering demanded more money for the project, the government released another Rs1.8 million to the department, added Mr Iqbal.

The former nazim said that though the tube-well had been installed, but it couldn’t be made operative for want of power supply.

He demanded of deputy speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi to pay attention to the people’s problem.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2014