KARACHI, Nov 20: A 100-bed well-equipped hospital will soon start functioning in Shah Faisal Town while the shortage of medical and paramedical staff of the existing 25-bed maternity home will be overcome, the Town Nazim, Mohammad Imran told Dawn.

Deploring that the Town despite having over 500,000 population did not have any major hospital, he said that a building and machineries for the hospital is already available and the required medical and para-medical staff would be pro-vided soon to make the hospital operational.

“The matter concerning the provision of staff for the hospital had already been taken up with the Sindh governor and the City Nazim and “I am sure that they will accede to my request soon,” he said and hoped that the residents of Shah Faisal Town who, at present, rush to Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre or Civil Hospital in case of an emergency will be provided best possible treatment at the Town’s hospital.

Referring to the Town’s 25-bed maternity home which became operational last year but was facing acute shortage of medical and paramedical staff, he said that the issue would also be overcome shortly as he had already discussed the matter with the City Nazim.

Expressing concern over the absence of doctors and paramedical staff at the Town’s dispensaries, he said that during his recent visit to the dispensaries he had warned the employees and doctors to shun the practice of remaining absent or attending to their duties quite late, or else he would be forced to take strict disciplinary action against them.

Terming the Shah Faisal Town’s water and sewerage lines ‘obsolete’ and ‘outdated’, he said that most of water and sewerage lines had outlived their life there is an urgent need to replace them.

“In fact, residents of most of localities not only face water shortage but off and on get the contaminated water because of leaking pipelines,” he added.

Referring to presence of a large number of cattle-pens in Shah Faisal Town, the Nazim said he had already directed the staff concern to remove all such cattle-pens as they have not only encroached upon the Town administration’s land but were also responsible for polluting atmosphere as well as presenting an ugly scene to passers by.