Electricity woes: Pharmacists protest against power outages

Protesters say the area’s transformer has been out of order since three days.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Power outages in District Headquarters Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) and its surrounding localities has forced members of the Chemist and Drug Association to stage protests under the leadership of their chairman, Haji Muhammad Ramzan.

Protesters shut down their shops and blocked all traffic passing through Circular Road. They said a transformer that supplies electricity to the area has been out of order since the past three days despite repeated complaints to authorities.

“Due to unavailability of electricity, precious medicines and injections [which require cold storage] are getting spoilt. However, the Water and Power Development Authority is doing nothing despite repeated complaints,” Ramzan told protestors.



Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the All Employees Coordination Council was held in District Headquarter Hospital. Para-Medication Association, Nursing Staff Association and 4th year representatives attended the meeting along with medical superintendents of District Headquarter Hospital and Mufti Mehmood Teaching Hospital.



Participants of the meeting also condemned the recent kidnapping of Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Ashiq Salim and demanded the government to take prompt measures for his safe return.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2012.