MULTAN, Nov 16: At least four tehsil headquarters hospitals in south Punjab are either inoperative or working in other buildings despite having their own premises.

The THQs are situated at Arifwala, Duniyapur, Jehanian and Rojhan.

The Arifwala hospital in Pakpattan district has been non-functional due to the shortage of staff. Previously, the medical staff of area municipal committee had been working there. But the health department authorities relieved them of their duties on the plea that there was no rule to absorb the employees of local government department into the health department.

The building of Duniyapur THQ hospital in Lodhran district was completed about a year ago but the health department has not yet posted staff there.

The Jehanian hospital in Khanewal district is being run by about five or six paramedic staff members of the former civil dispensary of the area.

The Rojhan THQ hospital, Rajanpur district, has not yet been commissioned despite the fact that its building had been constructed at a cost of Rs20 million some 10 years ago. The building had been used as a camp office by the influential Mazari clan chiefs. Nowadays, the building is reportedly in the use of Frontier Constabulary which is manning the Punjab-Sindh border. Therefore, the THQ hospital is working in the building of a rural health centre.

When contacted, local health department authorities said they had time and again written to the high-ups to solve their problems but to no avail. They said due the indifferent attitude of the authorities the hospital buildings were crumbling before being used properly and their cost of more than Rs100 million seemed going down the drain.