KOHAT: The Liaqat Memorial Hospital (LMH) has closed down its medicines store in the emergency unit, depriving patients of the much needed drugs.

The medical superintendent of the LMH, now the women and children hospital, Dr Sameen Jan, told Dawn on contact on Monday that the medical store was closed some two weeks back. He said though the health department had sanctioned Rs10 million for purchase of medicines approved by the medicine coordination cell, it had yet to send a list to the hospital for putting up its demand of the required medicines since July.

He said earlier only KDA hospital’s emergency received medicines, and some of these drugs were also given to LMH, adding the hospital also used to save money from other heads for arranging the necessary drugs for patients. He said after the change in the status of the LMH, some administrative bottlenecks were delaying supply of medicines to it.

About shortage of doctors at the hospital, Dr Sameen Jan said doctors had been offered jobs at the hospital on one year contract on meager salary and with no facility of leaves. So, no one was ready to join the service because they could make handsome amounts by practicing in their private clinics, he added. When contacted, MPA Ziaullah Bangash told Dawn that on one hand the doctors were crying for employment while on the other they were refusing jobs offered to them with ‘handsome’ salary of Rs35,000 per month.

BOMB DEFUSED: The Hangu police on Monday foiled a sabotage attempt by defusing a bomb planted on FC Fort road in Tora Warai area here.

The police received information that a suspected motorcycle had been parked along the road used by army convoys.

The police along with bomb disposal squad personnel reached the scene and found a seven kilogram improvised explosive device tied to the bike. The bomb was later defused safely.

The Doaba police registered a case against unknown terrorists and began further investigations.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2015