The Hospital Road, where Civil Hospital’s emergency ward is located, links the M.A. Jinnah Road to Baba-i-Urdu Road, but unchecked encroachments had made it difficult for patients and their attendants to pass through the road, doctors and paramedic staff said.
During mid 90’s the hospital administration had decided to erect gates on both sides of the Hospital Road. Consequently, over the years , an office of a social welfare organization emerged on the pavement a few yards away from the emergency ward.
The two-room office of the welfare organization had also the arrangement of giving final bath to the dead, but on the pavement. Though, the office might be providing relief to the needy patients, the entire work was being dispensed from the encroached pavement, remarked a doctor of the emergency department.
Interestingly, the welfare office located at the pavement has got itself allotted three land-line telephone numbers. It may be mentioned here that the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited issues new telephone connections only when the applicant submits the copies of the property documents.
Just on opposite pavement of the welfare office on the same road, a PCO is doing thriving business.
Taking cover of the iron gates put up by the hospital’s administration, the PCO has also been transformed into a permanent concrete structure by its owners.
Recently, several other makeshift PCOs had opened up on the same road, which could soon assume shape of encroachment, feared an employee of the hospital.
At its far end on Baba-i-Urdu Road, twisted iron gates were posing resistance to the smooth flow of traffic, hospital staff pointed out.
However, a senior official in the hospital’s administration said that the gates were installed to protect the hospital in law and order situations, which often arises in front of the emergency department.
To make matters worse, unchecked motorcycle parking near emergency department had also created congestion and hindrance in free access to the emergency ward.
In a recent renovation drive by the Civil Hospital administration, a “Patients Waiting Shade” was constructed in front of the emergency ward. The move amounted to encroachment of pavement on part of the hospital’s administration where shade was constructed.
Referring to the increasing encroachment, Medical Superintended of the Civil Hospital, Dr Naushad Shaikh, said that a few years ago, a welfare organization had approached the hospital administration through a minister.
The hospital administration entered into an understanding with the organization allowing them put up a cabin at the Hospital Road to serve the humanity. However, within no time they constructed a permanent structure close to the emergency department, the MS Civil Hospital added.
Whenever the hospital administration had taken notice of the activity of welfare organization, they refused the administration while saying that they were on KMC land, the MS said.
Similarly, the owner of the PCO functioning on the opposite pavement say’s that he has set up his business on a former police kiosk and its the police or KMC who can question the existence of the PCO, not the hospital administration, Dr Naushad added.
The CHK’s administration is also critical of the encroachments on the M.A. Jinnah Road side of the Hospital Road where numerous vendors keep the road blocked creating hindrance for the ambulances.
