Heart diseases rising in Chitral but DHQ hospital without cardiologist

CHITRAL, Sept 21: Speakers at a forum here expressed concerns over the unavailability of a cardiologist and basic diagnostic facilities of heart ailments at the DHQ hospital as the number of heart patients is on the steep rise in the district. Speaking on the occasions of community empowerment roundtable (Cert) and press forum jointly held by Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE) and Legal Aid Programme for Human Rights (LAPH), Qazi Asghar and others complained that the government had failed to fill the post of the district cardiologist for long. They said that with upgradation of the hospital some years ago, the necessary gadgets and instruments had been provided to the hospital, which were lying useless in the absence of the cardiologist and technicians. A number of participants also complained about the unchecked sale of spurious confectionary items in the shops of distant villages of the district which were highly injurious to health. The rising number of motorcycle thefts in the city was also reported by the members of the forum who said that the local police has miserably failed to trace and control the gang involved in the nefarious activity in the peaceful city. They said that motor cycle or theft was not a common practice in Chitral till last year which is seemed to be done in a highly organized manner due to the failure of the local police to check them. The deteriorating condition of unhygienic condition in Chitral city also came under discussion in which the participants flayed the municipal committee for its inability to control the filth and garbage. The faltering control of the district administration over the prize including the fares of public transports was complained and deep concern was expressed over the apathetic attitude of the government towards the issue. The regional manager of DTCE Roohullah Khan and chairman of LAPH Niaz Ali Shah, addressing on the occasion, said that the aim of holding CERT and press forum on quarterly basis was aimed at providing effective forum to the people to highlight their collective issues. They said that under the Strengthening of Rule of Law in Malakand (SRLM) project, DTCE was striving to strengthen the government institutions related with law and order which had been affected by the wave militancy hitting the area some years ago. They said that DTCE has already lent support to the police in Malakand Division in its rehabilitation after the militancy and to meet the purpose, it has constructed buildings for the force and has also fulfilled other necessities of the force.–Zahiruddin]]>