Residents protest scant facilities at Darband hospital

MANSEHRA: Residents in Darband town on Friday took to the streets to protest the shortage of staff and healthcare services at the civil hospital.

The protesters, who were holding placards, gathered at the central bazaar. They raised slogans and demanded the posting of doctors and paramedical staff at the civil hospital, which, according to them, was still without surgical equipment and machinery.

They demanded an immediate solution to problems, saying that 64-room hospital was without health services.

Speaking on the occasion, district councillor Abdul Zaman said that the civil hospital, which was shifted to its newly constructed building last year, was still without doctors and paramedics.

“In serious cases, patients die on the way when they are referred to hospitals in different parts of Hazara; Sehat Insaf claims by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is merely eyewash,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, naib nazim of Darband Neighbourhood Council Habib said Tehsil Nazim Raja Bashir had announced the construction of Nikka Pani-Jandri road but nothing materialised, resulting in people’s sufferings.

He said that if their demands were not met within a week, they would block roads to traffic for an indefinite period.