Health officials told to explain poor medical facilities in Shikarpur

Karachi
The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed health officials to file comments on a petition seeking fulfilment of vacant posts and provision of adequate medical facilities at the Civil Hospital Shikarpur (CHS).
Petitioner Shahab Usto submitted that several victims of the Shikarpur Imambargah had to be shifted to hospitals in Sukkur and Larkana, due to lack of proper medical facilities and specialised doctors adding that many lives could have been saved had adequate facilities been available at the CHS.
He maintained that many of the injured were shifted to hospital in rickshaws, police mobiles etc as there was no ambulances available in the city.
Usto further submitted that medical facilities available were not enough to cater to the needs of around one million population of the city; several posts for specialised doctors and other staff were lying vacant despite an annual budget allocation of Rs22.3 million. The court was prayed to direct the government to fill in as well as order an inquiry regarding non-fulfilment of posts of senior doctors and specialised surgeons in the hospital.
Provincial law officer and officials of health department requested for some time to file their comments. The division bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah granting time to the officials, the next hearing was set for April 23.
Detention cases
The SHC directed federal and provincial law officers to file comments on a petition against illegal detention of two persons allegedly by law enforcement agencies personnel.
Petitioner Mohammad Sharif and Roshan Banu submitted that Liaquat Ali and Mohammad Yaseen were picked up by police and Rangers officials on February 9 and March 23 respectively from New Karachi and Saddar respectively. Roshan maintained that her son was an employee of the fire department and did not have any involvement in criminal activities. The petitioners said police were neither disclosing the detainess whereabouts nor were they being produced in any court of law. The court issued notices to police and Rangers and other respondents and directed them to file comments by April 16.