Daily Times

LARKANA: The 30-bed dental department of the Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), the hospital with largest tertiary services in rural Sindh, has only one senior dental surgeon (BPS-18) left in the department.

Reportedly, the department had two dental surgeons who shouldered healthcare and medico-legal services for the entire district, however one of them retired recently, leaving the entire burden on a lone dental surgeon. In this regard, CMCH medical superintendent (MS) has sent an urgent letter to the director general of Health Services department of Sindh in Hyderabad, requesting him to increase posts of dental surgeons in the department. The letter explained that Maxillofacial Surgery, age determination, Medico-Legal Cases (MLC) are also performed, whereas the only dentist was unable to deal with the hectic situation.

The CMCH’s dental department was established with a cost of millions of rupees including Rs 20 million for machinery, equipment and medical instruments in 2015, but healthcare services could not be provided effectively due to lack of doctors.

Meanwhile, private clinics of specialist doctors, who have been working under the Benazir Bhutto Medical University, are flourishing. Outpatient department (OPD) is being run by doctors of the Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) but CMCH’s OPD has been shut down, causing severe hardships for patients. Patients have to pay for treatments at BADC’s OPD, however CMCH’s OPD was providing free services.

Meanwhile, BADC doctors are not ready to examine or operate MLC cases to avoid frequent appearances in the relevant courts.

According to sources, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital Shikarpur had nine posts of dentists and dental surgeons, Nawabshah has seven, Jacobabad has six, the Liaquat University Hospital has 12. Administrations of these hospitals have been demanding 30 more posts due to a huge surge of patients needing emergency care, but the CMCH has been constantly ignored by the provincial government of Sindh.

Meanwhile, CMCH authorities appealed to the provincial government to create 11 new posts in the hospital including one chief dental surgeon (BPS-20), two additional chief dental surgeons (BS-19), four senior dental surgeons (BS-18) and five dental surgeons (BS-17).

Larkana BISE announces HSC Part-II results: The Larkana Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) on Thursday declared the result of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) part-II annual examinations.

Reportedly, the Pre-Medical group student Taha Batool, daughter of Syed Ghulam Asghar Shah, clinched the first place by securing 975 marks.

Second position was followed by Dariush with 974 marks while the third place was shared by Syed Uzair Abbas Shah and Aaza Shaikh with 973 marks.

In Pre-Engineering group, Syed Aatif Ali Shah, Muqadas Ali daughter of Liaquat Ali Qadri and Zaryab Khan Agani secured first, second and third position, respectively. In Humanities group, Sara Khalid Channa, Fayaz Noonari and Zahid Junejo grabbed first, second and third position, respectively. In Commerce group, Shahbaz Hussain Abbasi, Hasnain Ali Soomro and Qurat-ul-Ain Qazi clinched first, second and third position, respectively.

In Pre-Medical group, 14,755 students passed the examinations successfully, whereas 4,097 students failed. In Pre-Engineering group, 9,666 candidates passed the examinations, whereas 2,926 candidates failed. In Humanities group, 2,248 students passed the examinations successfully, whereas 800 students failed. In Commerce group, 286 candidates passed while 94 failed the exams.

Judge orders FIRs against land grabbers in a surprise raid in village: Following directives of the Larkana District and Sessions Judge (DSJ), Ratodero Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Ali Ruk on Thursday conducted surprise raids on the Government Girls Primary School (GGPS), the Agriculture Extension Office (AEO) and a quarter of Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Izat Ji Wandh village.

Reportedly, he expressed anger over illegal occupation of the BHU by influential land grabber Amanullah Narejo, and found a tractor, agriculture equipment, motors, cots, a motorcycle and other material while a paddy crop was sown behind the government-owned building.

The Judge directed Naundero Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shahjahan Shah to arrest the illegal occupant and register an FIR (first information report) against him and Dr Satesh Kumar, who had been absconding from his duty for the last several days.

The Judge also asked dispenser Kifayat Ali Shah that whether they had informed the concerned authorities about the encroachment of government buildings. Shah informed him that they had written a letter to the District Health Officer (DHO) in Larkana, but no action was taken.

Later, the Judge visited the AEO and GGPS and discovered that a villager Nasrullah Narejo had forcibly occupied both government buildings.

Meanwhile, villagers informed him that the GGPS had been dysfunctional for the last eight years.

The Judge directed DSP Shah to lodge an FIR against the absconding doctor and land grabbers and seize materials from the buildings, and produce suspects before the court of DSJ in Larkana.

The DSP arrested suspects and detained them in the Naundero police station for further investigation.

Most of the residents in the village are peasants of slain Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Ghinwa Bhutto as their lands and farms are situated near the village.

Published in Daily Times, September 14^th 2018.