Gone into waste: Two dozen vehicles at the mercy of dust and rust

USAID and UNICEF provided some of these vehicles to the health dept for immunisation drives.

SUKKUR:

More than two dozen vehicles of different kinds and models are gathering dust under the open skies in the office premises of the district health officer (DHO), Sukkur.

Tyres of almost all of these vehicles have worn out, while various parts of the vehicles have also gone missing. More than two dozen vehicles, including jeeps, Suzuki vans, ambulances and other four-wheelers, are being turned into junk thanks to sheer apathy of authorities, inflicting a loss of millions of rupees on the national exchequer.

Some of the vehicles were given to the health department by the USAID and Unicef for Expanded Programme for Immunisation and mobilisation of the vaccinators. Others were purchased by the Sindh government to help the health staff. When these vehicles developed some faults, instead of getting them fixed, the authorities dumped them in the open at the mercy of changing weather.

An official of the health department requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that the officials used the vehicles mercilessly despite the fact that they had been provided for the immunisation staff. "And when, due to rough use, these vehicles developed some faults, the officers thought it better to dump them instead of getting them repaired," he said. "As you can see, the tyres of most of the vehicles have worn out. Many parts of the vehicles have been taken out by the staff members."

He lamented about how people take such good care of their own vehicles but when it comes to the government's vehicles, they use them mercilessly and throw them away when they become faulty.

Talking about the effects of this dumping, the official said that there are times when vehicles are needed for immunisation activities in far-flung areas. "At the time of need, no vehicle is available," he said. Citing the example of the spread of measles epidemic in 2012, he recalled how the vaccinators needed four-wheel vehicles to visit the desert areas of Salehpat and others but no vehicle was provided to them at that time of emergency.

According to him, the DHO of that time continued to request the deputy commissioner and commissioner to provide four-wheel vehicle but never bothered to get the damaged vehicles fixed. "If all these vehicles become roadworthy, we can perform our duty very well," he said.

When contacted, the newly posted Sukkur DHO Dr Hazoor Bux Tunio said that he has only recently taken charge and does not know how long these vehicles have been dumped. When asked why these vehicles are not sent to workshops for repairs, he replied that these vehicles are far from getting fixed as they have 'completed their service'.

He admitted that previous officers used these vehicles and dumped them when they developed some fault and, with the passage of time, they have turned into junk. "I have written a letter to the relevant ministry to seek permission to auction these vehicles," he said. "The case is in process and after getting green signal from the high-ups, we will auction these vehicles."

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.