THE largest hospital in upper Sindh, Chandka Medical Hospital, has only one machine for gallbladder laser surgery, and even that machine breaks down several times a year for several days or weeks, and many patients from Larkana, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Radhan, Kandhkot, Kashmore, Jacobabad and from far-off places in Balochistan are sent back after being told that the machine is out of order.

The same is the case with many other machines, including CT scanners, that often break down, and the patients are forced to go to private centres. Complaints have been forwarded to the provincial health minister and other high-ranking officials directly and indirectly, but no notice has ever been taken on the complaints filed by the common man.

According to some doctors at the hospital, who do not want to go public with the information they say they have, the medical superintendent of the hospital is a dummy, while the real power rests with someone close to a provincial legislator. The person concerned is said to have been promoted out of turn, and is now enjoying wide-ranging powers that he wields on the sole basis of his whim and fancy.

Does the ruling party have an explanation? In fact, does the ruling party have any interest in investigating the matter? Will somebody take a professional interest in exploring what is actually ailing the Chandka Medical Hospital? Zulfiqar Ali Larkana