Staff shortage: People in Darband fasten cattle at hospital in protest

MANSEHRA: People of Darband took to the streets and fastened their cattle at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, symbolically changing it into a cattle pen in protest against shortage of doctors and healthcare services.

“We have been protesting over the years to ask the health department to fill the vacancies of doctors, paramedics and others whose posts are lying vacant since long, but to no avail,” HabibSakhi, former Darband neighbourhood nazim, told protesters.

The protesters with their cattle marched through the main bazaar of Darbandup to the Tehsil Hospital and also “inaugurated” the health facility as a cattle pen.

The protesters raised slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) government and local lawmakers.

“Had there been a doctor, the life of a minor girl who was pulled alive from a dry well after having gone missing four for days could have been saved,” said HabibSakhi.

He warned that if the vacant posts of doctors, medics and others were not filled within a week, they would again stage protest next week and fasten cattle in the hospital premises.

“The PTI government makes mega claims of having brought reforms in the health sector but practically nothing has been done on the ground and people are still without healthcare services.

This hospital is an example of the government’s indifference. Its claims are all propaganda,” said a protestor Nasir.