PESHAWAR, March 19: The Cantonment Board has asked doctors at the Cantonment General Hospital (CGH) not to entertain patients living outside the cantonment, except those needing emergency treatment, officials told Dawn on Monday.

“We have banned the entry of the patients who live outside the cantonment, because this was an encroachment on the rights of those living in the cantonment who paid taxes,” the official said.

According to him, the step had been taken because doctors of the hospital had established their clinics in different localities of the city and called patients from there.

These patients were not only provided free examination and treatment facilities, but medicines were also given to them from the store of the Cantonment General Hospital, for which they were charged by the CGH’s doctors at their clinics.

Established in the late 18th century, the CGH has been providing health care services to a population of 100,000 residents of the cantonment within a radius of 13.5km.

The 91-bed hospital, including medical, surgical, gynaecology and children wards, has the services of 95 staff members.—Correspondent