Thar is a land of poor and isolated people and there is great need for a physiotherapist in the district.
MITHI, THARPARKAR: I was appointed an Assistant Physiotherapist (BPS-16) at the Civil Hospital, Mithi, which is located in the Tharparkar district, on a three-year contract. I joined the department on March 21, 2007, and the contract expired on March 20, 2010. The chief minister of Sindh extended my contract for an additional year on the recommendation of Tharparkar’s health EDO. However, my contract was terminated despite the recommendations made by the health department. I have a wide experience in physiotherapy and was at the disposal of my patients in Thar, where doctors usually do not prefer to serve for more than a few months at a stretch. Though I have lived in Karachi for many years, I decided to return to Thar to serve my people after gaining experience in my field.
I was the first physiotherapist to be appointed at the Mithi Civil Hospital where patients from the entire Tharparkar district come for treatment. Prior to my joining, people used to travel to Karachi and Hyderabad for treatment, which was not only expensive, but beyond the reach of the common man. Thar is a land of poor and isolated people and there is great need for a physiotherapist in the district.
It would also be pertinent to mention that there is an acute shortage of doctors and nurses in Tharparkar as they are reluctant to serve in this area. Since I have a close affiliation with Tharparkar and empathise with the problems of its people, terminating my contract is a heartless decision. I was the only physiotherapist working in this district as nobody else was willing to serve here. I have already served over three years here, I request the authorities concerned to reappoint me at the same post.
Partab Rai
Published In The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2012.
