OKARA: The DHQ Hospital has been facing shortage of facilities as two digital X-ray machines at the radiology department, an X-ray machine at dental section and five ventilators are out of order.

People also complain about a lack of provision of medicines at the dialysis unit.

The hospital administration claims that it is short of financial resources to maintain these facilities.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Shahid Saleem told this correspondent that digital X-ray machines were very sensitive and could not be operated due to the electricity voltage issue. He said a tender had been floated for a UPS and both machines would be operational within one month.

He said even the machine at the dental section needed a device to be operated and it would soon be acquired to make it functional. He said 14 of the 18 machines were operational for dialysis but there had been no budget for the last four months.

A dialysis costs Rs4,000 and a majority of the patients have to get the treatment twice a week but the government seems indifferent to the plight of the patients.

People have demanded Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and health authorities to take notice of the plight of the patients and ensure provision of facilities at the major health facility.

PASSES AWAY: Former MPA Rai Noor Muhammad Kharal, 76, died of brain haemorrhage.

A number of people attended his funeral prayers before he was laid to rest at his native village Kund Bohar graveyard about 40 kilometres away from here.

He started his political career from the local government and was twice elected to the district council (MDC) in 1979 when Okara was a tehsil of Sahiwal district. He was elected MPA four times but lost in 1996.

During the Musharraf era mandatory graduation condition, he fielded his nephew Rai Farooq Umer Kharal who was elected MPA in 2002 and 2008 general elections. Later, he fielded his daughter Samina Noor Rai who was elected MPA in the general election of 2013.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2021