SIALKOT, June 7: Members of the Daska Civil Hospital Patients Welfare Society have expressed grave concern over the public complaints about unavailability of doctors, paramedical staff and life-saving drugs at the hospital. At a meeting held here the other day, the society members noted with concern a complaint that the Daska Civil (THQ) Hospital doctors insist their patients to visit their private clinics for treatment. Besides, women paramedical staffers are accused of treating the visitors harshly.

The society decided to bring the matter into the notice of the provincial and the Sialkot district governments.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the posts of a general surgeon, medical specialist and a pathologist have been lying vacant at the hospital for long due to which patients have been facing a great deal of inconvenience.

The hospital is also without X-ray films which the Punjab government has not provided to it for a long time.

The society also takes exception to an ‘inordinate delay’ in the start of the construction of a new building. Nor has any renovation been done in the existing building in the last two years because of delay in provision of funds by the provincial and district governments.

Medical Superintendent Dr Ansar Butt told the participants that the construction of the hospital’s new building would start soon.