The Pakistani Spectator

The people of swat called IDPs are being returned to swat. For which we are very grateful to  Allah Almighty ..Naturally  the  people  displaced were happy by  returning  to their  homes  after  undertaking  great  agonizing  situation in the  camps  However  our  happiness seem to be  still  saddened. Besides  many other problems waiting for  the  returning   IDPs  i here by  mention  only one  based on my personal  experience  and observation  . Before  the coming  back  of the  IDPs  it was persistently  assured and  published  through media that  all kind of  facilities  and necessities  have been made  available  , particularly  in  Hospitals  and  that  the people  would  face no difficulty   One can   judge   the credibility of  such  claims  if the  condition of  Central Hospital of  Saidu( The main Hospital of the city ) are revealed.

My parents  due  to old  age  did  not migrate  and  so  some  of our   family  member including  myself  preferred to  remain at  Saidu  with them  for  their  care  , Some  time  back( in the  final days of operation) my father got a cardiac   problem  and  we  had  to admit him in the  Central Hospital Saidu.   Of course  due   to the  situation one  could  not expect best  treatment and care . However  after the  completion  of the  operation  when  it was reputedly  announced   by the  govt  that all kinds  of facilities  medicines   etc  have been provided  in the  hospitals   and the  same  be  easily available  to  the  patients  on ward. But  in spite  of that  my personal experience  as well   attendees of other patients   have totally been  different. First  though  doctors  have started to attend the  hospital  but medicine   are not available.

Only ordinary medicine  are provided ( Here  it must be reminded that  lot of expensive  are said to be  provided by different  donor agencies ). Secondly  there is  only one   ambulance ( that too in a  very poor condition)  is  available  in that  central hospital  while  for  others   one  has  to  take  permission from the  Army administration whom having  their office  in the Circuit  house . This permission is  the burden of the  patient relatives  which  is  too exhaustive  and difficult  procedure.

By narrating the  above  I  just  want to tell  that  if such is  the condition of the  Central hospital of Swat one  can easily  imagine  the plight of  small  hospitals  It also   show   that  governments claims  of facilities  and proper arrangements  are  just  rhetoric and shallow  announcement  which   do harm its  credibility  Setting aside  about  other  medical  instruments , appliances  etc  one may ask where  the  precious  medicines  have  gone  which  have been donated  by  international  donor agencies  to  the IDPs ? Why they are not being provided to  the  patients  who are in dire  need of it. ? Why their attendees are asked to make arrangement for it by themselves?

Would there be some such  concerned  honest  and God  fearing   authorities   who  will take   notice  of it

By Shakeel Ahmad, Saidu Sharief, Swat