close
Thursday October 03, 2024

Outsiders using DHQ Hospital residences in Lakki Marwat

LAKKI MARWAT: The official residences built for the doctors in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Lakki Marwat are being used by outsiders since long.The government built the DHQ Hospital in Lakki Marwat on the Mianwali road in the 1990s where more than 300 employees were posted. However, many employees

By Barkatullah Marwat
April 03, 2015
LAKKI MARWAT: The official residences built for the doctors in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Lakki Marwat are being used by outsiders since long.
The government built the DHQ Hospital in Lakki Marwat on the Mianwali road in the 1990s where more than 300 employees were posted. However, many employees often stay away from duty.
The government constructed 14 bungalows, 10 quarters and other residences for the doctors, paramedics and supporting staff in the hospital.Ironically, most of the bungalows have been occupied and in use of the officers of the district administration.
Assistant Political Agent, Frontier Region, Lakki Marwat is occupying a bungalow while District Officer Finance is in control of another one. The latter has even got allotted three bungalows to his relatives who were displaced from North Waziristan following the military operation there. Another displaced family related to a junior clerk of the health department is also living in another bungalow.
Others using the bungalows include a bank manager, health department and EPI officials of former employees of the DHQ Hospital. One of the bungalows is in the use of a nurse, Yasmin Bibi, even though she isn’t entitled to it. She was asked to vacate it to make room for ophthalmologist Dr Zakir Hussain, but she refused to leave until alternate accommodation was provided to her.
On the other hand, there are total 10 official quarters which have been allotted to the lower staff of the health department except for where one Mumtaz Bibi, who despite her retirement as maid has been living in the residence illegally.
It was learnt that most of the doctors and medical officers who were not interested in performing their job in the hospital is because of the residential problem.He said that the government had not constructed designated residences for the officials of the district administration. There is no designated residence for the deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and assistant political agent, FR Lakki.
A source quoted the medical superintendent as saying that the hospital administration could not expel some of the officials, including APA, as he carried security personnel at his residence due to which other officials were feeling comfort and secure to some extent.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital, Dr Abdur Rehman said that he issued several notices to the officials living in the official residences to vacate but none of them was ready to comply with the notices.
When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner Ihsanullah Khan said that he had summoned a meeting and directed the MS DHQ Hospital Dr Abdur Rehman to produce the copies of the allotment letters and FIRs if registered against those who had been living illegally or forcibly in the official residences allotted for the doctors only.He said, “The district administration has informed the provincial government about the problems of the residential accommodation of the officers in Lakki Marwat.”