MANSEHRA: The local residents have flayed the authorities for failing to complete the construction of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Oghi, work on which was suspended some two years ago because of shortage of funds.

“People in Oghi tehsil and the adjoining Tanawal area are without adequate healthcare services due to inordinate delay in completion of the hospital project,” Tahir Khan Hassanzai, a local resident, told reporters on Monday.

Flanked by a group of locals, he said the provincial government didn’t release a penny for the project.

“The health facility was scheduled to be completed in 2018 after the provincial government had initially released Rs300 million for its construction in 2016,” Mr Hassanzai said. He said according to the contractor the government was yet to pay him an outstanding amount of Rs50 million for the work already done. “Lawmakers from Oghi didn’t pay heed to the project,” Mr Hassanzai deplored.

He said patients of Oghi, Agror and Tanawal had to go to Mansehra and Abbottabad hospitals for seeking treatment.

Meanwhile, the Balakot police have launched a search and strike operation against the outlaws.

SHO Balakot Mohammad Asif told reporters that a huge cache of unlicensed arms and ammunition was seized during the operation. He said lady constables were also assisting their male counterparts in the operation.

KILLED: A man was killed and another sustained critical injuries when unidentified assailants opened fire on a vehicle in Shaukat Abad area on Sunday night.

The vehicle carrying participants of a wedding ceremony was on way back to Tanawal when an armed group intercepted it near Shaukat Abad and fired indiscriminately, leaving Gul Mohammad dead on the spot, and Mohammad Azam injured.

The injured was rushed to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, where doctors referred him to the Ayub Medical Complex Hospital, Abbottabad.

Meanwhile, a labourer, Mohammad Jamil, died and his three colleagues sustained injuries when a vehicle fell into a ravine near Oghi the other day.

The locals rushed the injured to a nearby health facility, where doctors pronounced Jamil dead. The injured were referred to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra.

In another incident occurred in Kotli Pain area of Baffa, Mohammad Shaukat shot dead his younger brother, Mohammad Shakeel, the other day.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2023