FAISALABAD: A man detained under the National Action Plan by the district intelligence committee (DIC) for funding banned organisations spent Eid days in a private room at the Faisalabad District Headquarters Hospital in violations of rules.

The emergency director of the hospital ordered the officials to shift under trial prisoner Asif Riaz Bassi, 27, of the People`s Colony, to the prisoners` ward from the private room on Sept 26.

The DIC on Sept 7 had approved detention of Bassi after three intelligence reports of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) against him.

Subsequently, District Coordination Officer Noorul Ameen Mengal issued a 90-day detention for Bassi. He was sent to the central jail, Faisalabad.

He was brought to the hospital on Sept 23 because of his `serious condition` due to an allergy and a vomit with blood.

Under the rules, he was to be treated at the emergency ward, but the medical officer shifted him immediately to an airconditioned private room.

Dawn learned Asif met lots of people on Eid days in the room.

Dr Riaz wrote in his note that `Bassi is immediately discharged from the private ward and admitted to the prisoners` ward of the hospital with an immediate effect due to administrative reasons`.

A former medical superintendent of the hospital said prisoners could not be treated in private rooms as they were brought to the hospital only in emergency conditions.

He said the prisons had medical officers to treat minor ailments of prisoners.

He said the prisoners` ward of any hospital had a status of sub-jail where meetings of the patients were allowed only with the permission of the Ministry of Interior.

The CTD had taken Bassi into custody from a shopping area of Kooh-i-Noor town on Sept 7.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Rauf said Bassi remained at the private room for only a few hours on the advice of skin specialists and he was discharged on Monday night when he refused to go for endoscopy.

He chose not to respond when asked that according to documents, Bassi was admitted to the private room on Sept 23 and shifted to the prisoners ward on Sept 26.

When asked why Bassi remained in the private room for three days if his condition was serious, the medical superintendent did not comment.

He said Bassi had consumed a medicine which worsened his condition.

He said police should have stopped people from meeting Bassi as the hospital had nothing to do with such cases.