LAHORE: Scores of patients visiting the Shaukat Khanum Hospital had to face a great deal of inconvenience in getting treatment due to the beefed-up security and political activities there on Friday because of the PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s presence there.

Mr Khan was admitted to the hospital after getting injured in a firing incident at Wazirabad during the long march.

The visitors say because of presence of a large number of PTI leaders, workers, media representatives, along with their DSNG vans, the hospital’s entrances remained blocked throughout the day. Police contingents were another hurdle, they add.

They regretted that despite having valid appointments, most of the patients from Lahore and other parts of Punjab could not enter the hospital premises.

“Various department, including the OPD, remained deserted. The guards and the police personnel manning the main gate allowed entry to only a few patients for necessary treatments like chemotherapy,” said Naseer from Faisalabad who had brought his mother for a chemo session.

He said it took him around two hours to enter the building, as a large number of cars were parked outside and the PTI workers had blocked access to the main gate.

“There was a complete chaos. I did not know from where should I get a wheelchair for my mother,” he told Dawn.

After managing to enter the hospital, Naseer said he heard several paramedics and a couple of doctors sharing their ordeal with their colleagues.

He said the main reception, first floor housing operation theatres and the private rooms were out of bounds even for most of the staffers.

Attendants of other patients also expressed their utter disappointment over the pathetic state of affairs at the leading cancer hospital of the city, saying the institute’s authorities should take notice of grievances of the patients.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2022