Syed Ali Shah:
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No medicines were provided to the CENAR hospital established for cancer patients despite repeated assurances by the Balochistan government.
“My patient is without medicines for the last week”, Muhammad Anwar, a young attendant with an aged patient woman said. Anwar belongs to the Zhob district of Balochistan and his patient was gradually recovering.
Babar Yousafzai, the Coordinator to the Chief Minister present inside the hospital assured that the matter was already brought to the notice of the CM. “ I assure you the provision of medicines within the next 24 hours”, Mr. Yousafzai announced.
Medicines to CENAR hospital under the Balochistan government endowment fund remains stopped for the last two months. This has compounded the problems of the patients battling the dangerous disease. “We have no medicines in our stock”, Dr. Feroz Khan Achakzai, one of the senior doctors said.
Over 100 patients approach the CENAR hospital for medical treatment on daily basis. “We treat the patients but they can’t purchase the expensive medicines”, Dr. Achakzai lamented.
A crowd of patients encircled this scribe inside the hospital to narrate their ordeal. “My family sold out all assets and jewelry to save the life of our father”, Abdul Hanan, another attendant with his father said.
Most of the cancer patients approach this government-run hospital in the fourth stage i.e dangerous stage, Dr. Feroz Achakzai informed. He said there was no awareness among the people about this fatal disease. We can treat them well if they come in the initial stage, he mentioned.
A summary of the purchase of the medicine was lying in the finance department. Babar Yasafzai stated that he would make tooth-and-nail efforts to get the summary signed for the purchase of medicines.
There are also reports of non-availability of medicines in other government-run hospitals in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan. People have demanded of the government to direct the concerned quarters to ensure the availability of medicines in hospitals.
