KHAIRPUR, March 16: District Nazim Nafisa Shah has demanded that the Sindh secretary for health should hold an inquiry into the working of the Khairpur Civil Hospital. In a communication to the secretary, she said medicines were not being provided to patients and the hospital condition was poor. She said during her recent visit to the hospital, many patients and attendants complained to her about the hospital administration. She alleged that patients were being asked to purchase syringes, drips and other items from private medical stores despite the fact the items were available at the hospital store.

The nazim said hospital rooms were not cleaned and toilets were flooded with water which had made them breeding ground for mosquitoes. She said the district government had allocated a huge amount for repairs of the hospital, besides earmarking Rs5 million for purchase of required equipment and increasing the medicines budget by 100 per cent in two years.

However, she regretted, patients were deprived of medicines and other facilities at the hospital.

CANDIDATES: Four candidates submitted their nomination forms for the seat of the Khairpur taluka nazim with the additional district sessions judge-II/returning officer, Mehar Khan Mayo, the other day.

People’s Party Parliamentar- ians-backed Awam Dost Panel candidate Syed Amjad Shah Bukhari, Khairpur Dost Panel candidate Munir Mangi, backed by the Pakistan Muslim League-F, and Tahir Imtiaz Phulpoto are among the candidates.

The election will be held on April 7.

PEST ATTACK: Rati and black and red Mehlo pests have attacked wheat crop standing over thousands of acre of land in eight talukas of the district.

According to growers, per acre yield will be affected due to the pest attack. Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad Forum president Syed Shakir Ali Shah said no official from the agriculture department had visited the area to take measures for spray against the pests.