PHC seeks reply from KTH’s Board of Governors

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday sought reply from the Board of Governors, Khyber Teaching Hospital, in a writ petition against the removal of Artificial Limbs Workshop, which had been established by the German government.

A division bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Nasir Mehfooz issued the notice to the Board of Governors. It was asked to explain their position through written comments in the case. The bench was hearing the writ petition of a polio patient, Javed Islam, rehabilitated by the Artificial Limbs Workshop, as he requested the court to annul the BoG’s decision of replacing the workshop with a cafeteria or other commercial activity in basement of the hospital on the pretext of beautification of KTH.

“We will not allow anyone to remove facility of these patients from the hospital, rather the facilities should be improved,” the chief justice observed. The lawyer submitted that the petitioner and hundreds of other patients were under treatment in the workshop free of cost.

He submitted that the Artificial Limbs Workshop provided mobility aid to the disabled patients. He said the workshop provides artificial limbs, special shoes and other equipment free of cost to the patients.

It was further argued that social services for physically handicapped people are based on three pillars, namely Artificial Limbs Workshop, Orthopaedic/Medical/Paediatric/Surgical Wards and Physiotherapy Departments, which are available under one roof in KTH and disruption of any of the abovementioned pillars would lead to total collapse of the services. The lawyer said that heavy machinery donated by the German government at the time of establishment of the workshop was fixed at the venue and its shifting to another place was impossible as it could be damaged during shifting.

However, legal advisor to the KTH, Saqib Raza, informed the bench that the hospital management was not removing the workshop, rather they were temporary shifting it to another place within the hospital to improve it and give it more facilities.