PESHAWAR: A writ petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the non-availability of a district headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Upper South Waziristan district on Tuesday.
The petition was submitted by residents of the area through lawyer Sajjad Mehsud, naming the provincial government, Health Department, deputy commissioner Upper South Waziristan and others as respondents.
The petition stated that although Upper South Waziristan has been granted the status of a district, a DHQ hospital has yet to be established, while existing healthcare facilities also lacked modern basic amenities.
Due to the absence of a DHQ hospital, the petition stated there were no post-mortem or medico-legal facilities available, forcing residents to travel to other districts for such services as well as for medical treatment.
According to the petition, it added the lack of a DHQ hospital had caused severe hardship for local residents and constituted a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The petitioners prayed the court to direct the authorities to establish a DHQ hospital in the district, ensure the availability of doctors and staff, and provide modern facilities at healthcare centres.
