OKARA: Deputy Commissioner Amir Aqeeq Khan has assigned additional charge of the post of DHQ Hospital medical superintendent to Health Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdul Majeed till the appointment of a regular incumbent.

Moreover, the post of an ENT specialist has been lying vacant at the hospital for over four years since the retirement of the former medic. Similarly, around 10 years ago, a double-storey building for the cardiology and neurology wards had been built but no neuro-physician/surgeon posted there since then despite repeated demands to former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, the incumbent Usman Buzdar and Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid during their visits.

The DHQ hospital’s emergency ward is brimming with patients from across the district round the clock. The district health authority was apprised of this long ago and asked to fully activate the emergency ward of the Renala Khurd THQ Hospital on GT road to ease the burden on the DHQ hospital, but to no avail. Besides this, the hospital has been facing a shortage of wheelchairs, stretchers and drip stands.

FARMER KILLED: An agriculturist was allegedly strangled to death by two villagers on Sunday. According to the first information report, Zahid Ali had parked a potato-laden tractor trolley on the road near his house in Kot Ghumman village near Basirpur.

Farmers Azmat Ali and Akbar Ali while travelling on their tractor trolley hit Zahid’s vehicle and several sacks of potato fell off on the road. This led to an argument between Zahid and the two men who overpowered him and allegedly strangled him to death.

Basirpur Station House Officer Muhammad Azam Chishti registered a case on the report of Zahid’s brother Shahid Ali under sections 302 and 34 of the PPC.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2021