NAROWAL, July 6: The Manak Basic Health Unit has unofficially been converted into a drugs godown. Situated at a distance of five kilometres from the town , the health unit comprises seven rooms for doctors, a dispensary, X-ray room, a ward, five servant quarters, a doctor's residence and vast lawns.

A doctor, a male and a female medical technicians, a dispenser, lady health visitor (LHV), Naib Qasid, guard and a sanitary worker are supposed to serve area people. When this correspondent visited the BHU, only the medical technician, Muhammad Zarar, dispenser Tahir and LHV Farhat Saeeda were present.

All the seven rooms, the ward and two servant quarters had been stocked with medicines. Mr Zarar said the medicines were kept here by Prime Minister National Programme (PNP) in-charge Dr Tariq. He said 13 trucks laden with medicines had been unloaded in the unit.

"In this situation, I am working in the lawn under shades of trees." Ms Farhat Saeeda said she could not work without a separate room for examining female patients. She said Dr Tariq allegedly broke open the lock of her room and kept the medicines there.

The lady health worker said BHU incharge Dr Hameed Mughal often remained absent. "I often see snakes in the untrimmed grass of the lawn." Dawn learnt that Dr Hameed Mughal, FMT Fozia Sultana, Naib Qasid Khalid, watchman Razaq and sanitary worker Siddique Masih often remained absent from duty.

The BHU itself ran short of drugs provided by the health department some two months ago. A servant quarter was reportedly occupied by a clerk, Abdus Salam, of the district health office.

The other was being used by a brother of Mr Salam. In the third quarter, the union nazim had set up his office. Meanwhile, Manak UC Naib Qasid Muhammad Munir said the council had been using the quarter as its office for the last three years. When contacted, the PNP incharge said the medicines had been stocked temporarily and would be distributed soon.