SWABI, Jan 17: Local chapters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl have supported separate and independent status for Swabi District Headquarters Hospital and Shahmansoor Hospital Complex (SHC).

The two parties held separate meetings here on Saturday and said that they would extend support to the hospital protection committee (HPC) to oppose merger of the two hospitals.

Addressing a workers’ convention, Dildar Khan, district general secretary of PML-N, said that health department had planned to merge DHQ hospital with SHC but people of the area strongly opposed the idea and local political leaders initiated struggle forcing the government to reconsider its decision about three times earlier but now once again the provincial government was planned to act against the wishes of the people.

“We are determined to foil the conspiracy hatched by the government and bureaucracy against the people of the district,” he said, adding that irrespective of their political affiliations political leaders and workers should come forward to resist the government decision.

JUI-F tehsil general secretary Hussian Ahmad also opposed the idea of the merger of the hospitals and called upon all the political parties to shun their differences and work for the protection of DHQ hospital.

Javid Inqilabi, general secretary of HPC told this correspondent said that the district headquarters hospital was located in the center of city, easily accessible for the people and its merging would create problems for patients.

“We reactivated the hospital protection committee to muster support against the government decision,” he said.

He said if the government didn’t reconsider its decision of merging the 74-bed hospital into SHC, they would launch another protest movement like they did in the past.

INAUGURATION: The Shahmansoor Hospital Complex (SHC) would be inaugurated by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Hider Khan Hoti in the current month, said officials of health department and leaders of Awami National Party.

They said that preparations for the chief minister’s visit had already kicked off. The visit of Commissioner Khalid Khan Umarzai and Inspector General of Police Syed Akhtar Ali Shah on Jan 11 was aimed at inspecting security situation, they added. ANP local leaders said that they had also told the authorities concerned to complete the remaining construction work of the newly-constructed hospital as soon as possible.

The construction of the hospital had stopped five times owing to political reasons and blocking of funds since the work was started on the project in 1996. The project was scheduled to be completed till the end of 1998.

WOMAN KILLED: A woman was killed when the roof of her mud-house caved in due to two days heavy rain in Swabi Khas on Friday night.

The victim, identified as wife of Sabaz Ali, was alone in the house at the time of the incident.

Neighbours and relatives rushed to the house after the incident and started rescue work. Later, they pulled out the body of the woman from the rubble of the house.