RAWALPINDI: The theft of two more dialysis machines from District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital of Murree on Wednesday put patients in trouble while the district administration formed a three-member commit-tee to investigate the incident.

In June last a dialysis machine was also stolen from the hospital.

There used to be six machines installed at DHQ Hospital Murree by the Punjab government.

After the theft of three dialysis machines the hospital is left with three machines to cope with 150 kidneypatients for dialysis in a week.

`In June, Murree was the tehsil of Rawalpindi District and District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Anser Ishaq had formed a three-member committee to investigate the theft and directed DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Salam to file a case in the Anti-Corruption Department,` a senior official ofthe district administration told Dawn.

On Thursday, a three-member committee was formed, led by Murree Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Qasim Ejaz and he started investigation into the theft.Mr Ejaz and Assistant Commissioner Murree Sahibzada Yusuf visited DHQ hospital and met Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Salam. He inspected places where the machines had been kept and collected evidence.

When contacted, Mr Ejaz said that the committee started its work and on the first day recorded statements of employees on duty and inspected the site where the machinery was installed.

He said that the committee sought documents of the stolen machinery andtheir value while hospital record would also be checked in the coming two days.

He said that there were some documents required and the hospital administration had been asked to submit them within a day.

He said that it was very sad incident that the machines installed for the recovery of patients were missing, adding that all officials of hospitals had been asked to coordinate with the committee.

He said that after completing the report, it would be submitted to the government as soon as possible.

The responsibility will be fixed and the culprits will face legal action soon, he said.