MIANWALI, June 19: The district headquarters hospital remain crowded with patients from across the district because of lack of staff and facilities at the basic health units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs).

The DHQ hospital has eight specialist doctors, including an orthopaedic surgeon, besides other facilities like X-rays machine and a pathology laboratory.

The specialist doctors are over burdened because they have to examine around a hundred patients daily on the average. Patients suffer when these specialists are assigned additional duties in the emergency ward or somewhere else.

The patients welfare associations have appealed the EDO (health) and medical superintendent to fill in the vacant posts of doctors and para-medical staff at the BHUs and RHCs, and ensure provision of medicines and equipment there.

Meanwhile, District Nazim Humair Hayat Khan Rokhri during a visit to Daudkhel last week said a hospital would be constructed at Daudkhel at the cost of Rs50 million.

Talking to Nazim and other members of Daudkhel Union Council, he said the work on the hospital would start from the 2002-3 fiscal year with the assistance of the Islamic Development Bank.

He said that a doctor had been appointed and an ultra sound machine had been provided at the Daudkhel Basic Health Unit.

He said that 650 male and female teachers would be appointed from next month on contract basis for five years.

He said that education had been the first priority of the district government. Appointments would be made on merit and preference would be given to the teachers belonging to the same area where the vacancy existed.

Humair said that all vacancies of primary school teachers would be filled from September this year.

Earlier, the Daudkhel Union Council members had demanded appointment of teachers for girls and boys higher secondary schools, construction of a link road from Bilal Mosque to the town and evacuation of hospital quarters from illegal occupants.

TIMBER THEFT: Timber theft is rampant in the Kundian forest now a days. Contractors with the connivance of forest official cut valued trees and transport it to the other places of the Punjab without any fear.