By Mujeeb Rahman Qambrani
MEHAR: The Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STP) Taluka Mehar staged a protest against alleged corruption in funds allocated to Taluka Hospital Mehar, as well as complaints about shortages of medicines, poor patient care and alleged irregularities in recruitment.
The protesters said the hospital had been handed over to GIMS three years ago and millions of rupees had since been allocated to it, but it had still not become fully operational. They alleged that some departments had been established largely for ceremonial or publicity purposes rather than providing effective services.
The STP leaders said the hospital was built with taxpayers’ money and belonged to the people of Mehar. They alleged that successive administrators, medical superintendents and staff appointed by GIMS had failed to provide adequate facilities, particularly for elderly people, women and other patients.
They also called for immediate improvements in healthcare services and relief for patients visiting the hospital.
They claimed women seeking maternity services, including deliveries and Caesarean sections, were often sent back without treatment after repeated visits.
Patients seeking medicines, they said, were forced to wait for hours before obtaining slips and then faced further delays at the hospital store, with some leaving without receiving the required medicines.
The protesters condemned what they described as inhumane treatment of patients and demanded inquiries into alleged corruption in repair works, recruitment of preferred candidates and the purchase and distribution of medicines.
The STP leaders warned that they would launch a wider protest movement if the hospital was not properly managed and what they described as a corrupt administration was not removed. The allegations have not been independently verified.
