LAYYAH: The alleged neglect of the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) officials in installing a transformer at the rural health centre of Jaman Shah has deprived hundreds of patients of adequate treatment for the last four years.

The trail of installation of transformer at the health centre starts from 2012, the year when Jaman Shah Basic Health Unit was upgraded to the RHC.

The South Asia Partnership Pakistan had donated X-Ray plant lab and other equipment to the health centre to facilitatethe union council. The basic health unit had the electricity transformer of 25 KVA but due to the upgradation of the centre, the machinery at the centre needed a bigger capacity transformer.

The then executive district health of ficer had requested for installation of 100 KVA transformer and the Mepco SE issued a demand note of Rs428,500 for the installation of the transformer but the health department lacked funds to pay the demand draft.

The matter came to the notice of the District Advocacy Forum (a citizen forum working for the health rights) which pursued the matter with the district administration and the then DCO allocated the funds from the district government in 2016 and the amount was deposited with the National Bank on Feb 16, 2016 by the health department.

The Mepco SE (Muzaffargarh) informedthe senior medical officer of the centre that the demand notice had been wrongly paid to the NBP instead of the Bank of Punjab and the medical officer was directed to apply and submit a new application.

The health authorities managed the transfer of cash to the Mepco account in the BoP but the ordeal was not over as the SE again advised the MO to deposit Rs85,400 as security of the transformer which was deposited on Sept 9, 2016 by the health department.

Mepco required a new test report of the building at a cost of Rs56,000 which was donated by the doctors and members of the advocacy forum and was duly deposited with Wapda bank accounts. The SE has accorded sanction of the installation of the transformer through his letter No 6421-24 on March 16, 2017. But the installation of transformer is still awaited.

Mepco Deputy Manager (Layyah)Qamar Zaman said his office had forwarded the complete file of the transformer No 4220 on March 17 to the SE office for its implementation and it would be installed in routine time as the Wapda system is computerised now.

PATIENTS` PLIGHT: At least 40 patients require X-Rays for broken bones and respiratory illnesses daily and they have to travel to nearby towns of Layyah and Kot Sultan for their X-Rays which cost them an additional Rs300.

`One cannot imagine the plight of the patients who have to get prescriptions the next day of their visits,` says Dr Abdul Aziz, Senior Medical Officer, Jaman Shah.

A health right activist, Mehwish Kanwal Bokhari, says normally priority is accorded under Wapda rules to supply electricity to hospitals, academic institutions and mosques.

She wonders why there is delay in installation of transformer to facilitate the poor patients.