KOHAT: The civil society has expressed deep concern over the abrupt closure of the children’s evening shift at the out-patient department of the women and children hospital, causing problems to the parents coming from far-flung areas.

Two doctors used to check children at the evening shift, thus saving the people from going to the private hospitals and clinics which charged them heavily.

The tribesmen of Orakzai and Kurram tribal districts, Karak and Bannu also availed the facility because they could not reach the hospital in the morning due to long distances.

An official on condition of anonymity told Dawn that the child specialists, who were running private clinics, had made medical superintendent Dr Gul-i-Rana to order closure of the children OPD in the evening.

The official said chest infections, fever, and breathing problems were common in children with the advent of winter, but the child OPD closure would deprive the minors of immediate treatment.

Dr Gul-i-Rana, when contacted, told Dawn that child specialist Dr Saeed who performed the evening duty had retired and the other two doctors discharged their duty in the morning shift.

However, she said the children were being checked up at the emergency as she had kept two specialists on call in case serious patients were brought there.

To a query, she said she could not depute anyone from the morning shift to the evening shift. She said post of a third specialist had long been lying vacant.

SCHOOL GETS AWARD: The British Council has bestowed the Kohat Convent Saint Joseph with an international award after it won a competition among selected local and European institutions in curricular and extra-curricular activities.

The school’s principal Ms Aglinana Sohan, while speaking at a colourful nursery concert on ‘save the environment’ on the occasion of the parents day, said their practical projects about the importance of trees, forests, helping the poor, learning the English language were presented in the seven Pakistani and seven European schools that were liked and adjudged as the best.

Meanwhile, the little children presented tableaus on the topic of ‘save the environment’. They were wearing painted colorful dresses and had their faces painted, depicting green trees and leaves. They also sang songs on the topic and the national anthem.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2019