By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mehmood Khan on Tuesday paid surprise visits to the district headquarters and civil hospitals in Landikotal in Jamrud tehsils of district Khyber and suspended a health official due to his negligence and poor performance.
The Chief Minister first arrived early in the morning at the Jamrud tehsil civil hospital where he met with health staff and heard patients and general public complaints.
Mehmood Khan assured patients that he would address their problems on a priority basis.
The CM was also accompanied by civil and health officials during his day-long visit.
The KPK Chief Minister also talked with local media persons who pointed out all the issues being faced by the local people and patients visiting the hospitals.
Mehmood Khan was informed about the deteriorated situation of the district Headquarters and civil hospitals in Landikotal and Jamrud subdivisions in the Khyber District.
The CM Mehmood was informed that millions of rupees worth of equipment had been installed in the hospital but due to a lack of technical and trained staff, it could not start benefiting patients.
CM showed great concern over the poor performance of the health staff and the negligence of the head of tribal health officials. He was told that the none non-functional equipment was purchased years before but yet not started work. He on the spot directed the health staff that he wanted all the equipment functional in the hospital as soon as possible.
Residents requested the CM to take notice of the doctors who were compelling patients to conduct their surgeries in their private clinics and hospitals situated near the HQ hospital in Landikotal.
Patients and the local people also complained against the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital that he was not taking an interest in addressing their genuine problems.
Meanwhile, the assistant commissioner of Landikotal Muhammad Imran tried to avoid stopping people from expressing their sufferings to the CM.
Mehmood Khan said, “I haven’t come to meet the officials, I have come to meet with patients and the public as I am their representative and to address their issues.”
The people gathered around the Chief Minister also demanded of the CM that the office of the district surgeon be shifted from Jamrud to the district headquarters hospital in Landikotal.
Mehmood Khan on the spot directed the health department to appoint a gynaecologist in the hospital in a week.
He urged the residents that they should also play their role in bringing better public service provision. He added that everyone should call and inform CM via his office phone number about the health staff who not performing their duties in the right way in the hospital.
The residents of the area praised the CM for his surprise visit to Landikotal Hospital.
Earlier, CM Mehmood Khan visited the Jamrud hospital where he inquired about the facilities and availability of medicines. CM issued a suspension order for the director of health tribal areas over his unsatisfactory performance.
It may be added here that the KP chief minister for the first time in history paid surprise visits to Jamrud and Landikotal hospitals and met patients to hear their issues and resolve them as early as he could.
