LAHORE: It seems that the health sector is not a priority of the Punjab government as the Wahdat Colony Filter Clinic is yet to be attached with a teaching hospital despite passage of eight months. Executive District Officer (EDO) Health Zulafqar Ali has confirmed to Daily Times that tight schedule and meeting of officials concerned was the main reason behind delay in affiliation of the clinic. The project was announced by Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah in a meeting to attach dispensaries and small hospitals with teaching hospitals, which were running under the supervision of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL). In the 1st phase, the Wahdat Colony filer clinic and the Samnabad Hospital were to be attached with the Jinnah Hospital. However, according to sources, no progress had been made on the project after a solitary meeting held earlier in June this year. The purpose of this initiative was to shift patients burden from teaching hospitals to area dispensaries/ filter clinic and small hospitals for providing best healthcare facilities to patients at local level. Besides delay in affiliation of the filter clinic, it is also facing shortage of medicines and other equipment. Moreover two seats of Grade-18 grade are also vacant at the clinic and no alternative staff is present to cover the absent staff member in case of any emergency. The 8-bed filter clinic is bound to cater to medical needs of areas including, Chowk Ashqabad, Wahdat Colony, Icchra, Muslim Town and Iqbal Town. Talking to Daily Times, Wahdat Colony Filter Clinic Additional Principal Medical Officer (APMO) Dr Ishfaq Nadeem said that he had not received any written intimation letter from high authorities/ officials concerned regarding affiliation of the clinic with the Jinnah Hospital. To a query, he said that they had moved the written application to DDO Health and waiting for facilities/ equipment required to them. Several attempts were made to contact Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah for his view on the matter, but he neither responded to phone calls nor replied to messages left on his cell phone. When contacted, Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir, his assistant told that would call back later but this scribe did not received any call or message till filling of this report. EDO Health Zulafqar Ali said that documentation of the project had been completed and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) ceremony was expected till the end of this month. To a question, he said that the project was being delayed due to busy schedule of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah, Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Mahmood Shaukat and other officials concerned. He said that they have decided to attach Samnabad Hospital with the Services Hospital on the request of local area people and officials concerned.