KOHAT: Patients visiting the Liaquat Memorial Hospital (LMH), located in the city centre, continue to suffer as its wards are in a dilapidated condition and no arrangement has been made for cleanliness on its premises.

The LMH was converted into women and children hospital after opening of KDA Hospital. Patients from the city and as far as Kurram and Orakzai tribal agencies, Hangu and Karak visit the hospital for treatment, but none of the former and present lawmakers paid attention to its renovation and equipping it with the needed facilities.

According to sources, for the last four years the PTI government had been announcing its reconstruction with a cost of Rs500 million and had even approached UNHCR in this regard because the hospital received many Afghan refugees. They said that the hospital could not get any funds because the government failed to pursue its case properly.

It was seen during a visit to the hospital that three to four children were sharing each of the beds whose pillow covers and sheets had turned black.

One Adnan said that every patient was referred to a local private laboratory which declared her mother a cancer patient. However, she was declared cleared after tests in Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital. He demanded action against the labs which lacked trained people and equipment.

In the emergency, untrained staff was deputed in the night shift who could not even locate the vein for injection and drip. Similarly, NGOs had occupied rooms and constructed offices inside the hospital illegally. `They pay no rent to the hospital,` said Rashid Bokahri, an official of the hospital.

MAN HELD WITH HASHISH: Police foiled an attempt of smuggling hashish from tribal area to Punjab and arrested an alleged smuggler near Landi Kachai here on Wednesday.

A team of Ustarzai police headed by SHO Abbas Khan stopped a van and during checking found 16 kilogrammes of hashish hidden in its secret cavities. The alleged smuggler, identified as Kham ail Khan of Orakzai Agency and living in Hangu, was arrested and taken to the police station.

According to the SHO, Khamail stated that he was taking the consignment to Punjab via Kohat. The police have registered a case against him.

Meanwhile, police arrested two alleged highway robbers and recovered the money looted from a rickshaw driver here on Wednesday.

The police said that the rickshaw was hired by two men at new Tableeghi Markaz and after some distance the driver Zahid Khan was looted at gunpoint. He informed the police which sent a team to the area and arrested one Mohammad Arif and allegedly recovered Rs1,700 and a 30-bore pistol from him. On his identification his alleged accomplice, Noshaid Khan, was also arrested and booked. Both belonged to Junglekhel area.