MANSEHRA: The residents of Oghi have complained that they are without basic health facilities as the tehsil civil hospital, which was destroyed in 2005 devastating earthquake, has not been reconstructed yet.

“The local people are reluctant to send their women patients for treatment to the tented hospital where secrecy and privacy of a patient can be disturbed,” said Mohammad Nawaz, the secretary general of traders union of Oghi.

The hospital, which was built in 1867 in Oghi, was destroyed in the earthquake some 11 years ago but Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) didn’t include it in its reconstruction strategy as a result of which neither the reconstruction of the hospital could be started nor staff required in accordance with the population was appointed, he added.

“Would you believe that a single doctor was posted in the hospital when it was built in 1867 and same single post of doctor is still sanctioned even after almost 150 years of its history,” said Mr Nawaz.

He said that the hospital was being run in torn out tents where no proper healthcare services could be provided to the patients. “The single tent is used for carrying out autopsy of dead bodies and checking the patients. In such circumstances how one can go there for medical checkup or treatment,” the trader leader questioned.

Abdul Rashid Bunari, the chairman of the traders union, said that it was unfortunate that the PTI government, which made tall claims regarding bringing revolutionary changes in the health system in the province, couldn’t reconstruct the hospital.

“If a government cannot provide health services to 500,000 people of Oghi how it can claim to bring revolutionary changes in the existing health system in the entire province,” said Mr Bunari.

The government, he said, instead of reconstructing the hospital was planning to shift it to rural health centre in Charbagh which was unacceptable to them. He said that local people would foil any such move.

Mohammad Faridoon, the district councillor elect, said that Mohammad Safdar, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, was elected MNA from Oghi but he couldn’t even include the destroyed hospital in the reconstruction plan of Erra.

“Mr Safdar, who had also announced to reconstruct this historic hospital if people voted PML-N into power, could not fulfil his election promise,” he said.

Mr Faridoon said that health secretary, who visited the tented hospital earlier this year, had said that provincial government would sanction funds for reconstruction of the hospital but no step was taken till now.

He said that people of Oghi would take streets if Erra didn’t include the hospital in its reconstruction plan. “Health services are our basic rights. If government doesn’t bother to provide these to us through a stranded way then we would be left with no other option but to launch agitation,” he said. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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