Left high and dry: Civil Hospital Samana lacks basic services

Locals are taken to facility in Hangu during emergency situations  .


Our Correspondent May 16, 2016
The hospital was established in 1835 by the British in Lockhart Fort, Samana, but it was upgraded and officially declared a hospital in 1992. STOCK IMAGE

HANGU:  

Residents of Samana, Orakzai Agency have nowhere to turn to as the only civil hospital in their area lacks basic amenities. As a consequence, locals are left in the lurch during emergency situations.

“No emergency treatment is provided to patients – the hospital lacks basic equipment, childbirth medications and machinery,” a local told the media on Monday. “In case of an emergency, patients are referred to a hospital in Hangu.”

Civil Hospital Samana has a separate ward for X-ray but no technicians or registrars work there.

They have no necessary items available, Malik Mumtaz, another local, said.

He added there is a separate dental ward which also has machinery. However, no dentists are available.

The hospital is run by midwives and nurses.

Moreover, the hospital building is also currently damaged. Locals have urged the government to provide ambulance services so that lives could be saved.

Deprived of fair share

Samana residents claimed medicines worth millions of rupees have been distributed to tribal areas by the FATA Secretariat, but Civil Hospital Samana has not received any aid.

Locals including Malik Sakhi Marjan, Malik Khan Zaman, Malik Ezzat and Malik Qabil expressed their concerns over the burning issue.

They said the government has ignored Civil Hospital Samana, the only hospital in Orakzai Agency subdivision.

The hospital was established in 1835 by the British in Lockhart Fort, Samana, but it was upgraded and officially declared a hospital in 1992.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2016.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ