Govt hospitalslack facilities, says PHC CJ

Petition against Asamai Gate closure at LRH

PESHAWAR: Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Mazhar Alam Miankhel observed on Friday that poor patients suffered due to lack of facilities at government hospitals.

“The condition of government hospitals is very miserable. No change and improvement can be seen there,” he observed while hearing a writ petition filed against the closure of the Asamai Gate of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

The chief justice remarked that improvement cannot be brought only through documentation until and unless practical steps were taken for this purpose.“It is in my notice that the main hospitals of the province are lacking in facilities,” the chief justice said. He added that improvement cannot come through verbal statements rather the government should take practical steps to improve the working of the hospitals.

Another high court judge, Justice Ikramullah Khan remarked that he had visited the Accident and Emergency Department of the government hospital and witnessed the difficulties faced by the patients.

The bench passed these remarks while hearing the writ petition filed by owners of medical stores against the closure of Asamai Gate at the LRH. The court extended the stay order about opening of small gates of the hospital till its next order.

During the course of hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer, Shumail Ahmad Butt, submitted before the bench that the closure of the Asamai Gate inconvenienced patients at the LRH.He noted that closure of the gate had also damaged the businesses of many people running medical stores.

He pointed out that closure of the gate showed malafide intention of the hospital administration as the purpose of opening of the gate towards Khan Raziq Shaheed Police Station was aimed at giving financial benefit to the medical stores situated there.

The lawyer said the Asamai Gate closure also caused traffic jam on the road and deprived the petitioners of their livelihood.He said the security situation had improved and there was no justification to close the gate as it was open even when terrorism was at its peak in Peshawar.