Daily Times

MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) women’s wing in Hazara has demanded of the provincial government to establish a nephritic unit at King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

“It is unfortunate that the District Headquarter Hospitals in Mansehra, Torghar, Kohistan and Battagram are without nephritic units and renal patients are suffering agonies and financial problems in reaching Abbottabad hospital for dialysis twice a week,” said Ambreen Swati, the divisional general secretary of PTI women’s wing in Hazara.

She added that more than 70 patients from Mansehra city alone visited the hospital in Abbottabad for dialysis twice a week.

Ambreen, who is also a member of the district council Mansehra, said that the number of kidney patients across upper Hazara was high and if the government sets up a nephritic unit at King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, it would provide relief to patients and their families.

“Most of the patients prefer to pay Rs 7000 per dialysis at private hospitals as they cannot reach at Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad on scheduled dates because of traffic problems on Karakoram Highway,” she said. She said that a delegation of her party would meet Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for the approval of a nephrology unit at the hospital in Mansehra.

Sale of camel milk on the rise in Lakki city: The sale of camel milk is on the rise in Lakki city as camel keepers from Punjab are doing a business of selling the commodity at high prices in the city bazaars. A family, consisting of men, women and several children and belonging to Shekhupura area of Punjab, had come to the district along with six she-camels to sell milk in the city bazaars.

Local residents, mostly those living in rural localities, keep cattle at their homes and use the milk of cows and goats. In urban areas, people use milk supplied from Punjab as it is easily available at Rs 80 per kg in city bazaars. Many residents also use canned/packet milk for daily use.

Taking advantage of the rising demand of camel milk, the camel keepers are selling the commodity at Rs 200 per kilogram. They patrol the city bazaars along with camels to attract people to buy their milk.

A banner displayed on a she-camel carries the message that camel milk cures diseases such as hepatitis, diabetes, joint pains and others. Local residents, especially traders and shopkeepers, buy camel milk as they think it is healthier and easier to digest. “We have six she-camels with their young ones and get 30 kg milk from them daily”, said Bilal, a young camel keeper.

He said the family spent around Rs 3000 to buy fodder for camels daily and also saved adequate money during the day-long labour.

The Medical Superintendent at the District Headquarters Hospital, Dr Abdul Rehman, said that camel milk was healthier as it had more iron, vitamin C and proteins and less fats. “The antibodies are helpful to make the system immune strong enough to combat diseases,” he added.