QUETTA - The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has sought a report from Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta (SPHQ) pertaining to registration of thalassaemia patients in the hospital to ascertain what measures have been taken for prevention and cure of the disease. According to a research report, there are an estimated 2,000 children with B-thalassemia in Balochistan. These children are at high risk of acquiring transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) due to their need of regular blood transfusions for survival.

Taking up a plea of Barrister Amir Muhammad Lehri, seeking the court’s directives to the concerned authorities for tangible measure to treat the patients in the province, a divisional bench of Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Abdul Hameed Baloch also sought report from Secretary Communication and Works Department over causes of delay in construction of a multi-storey building in the hospital. Issuing a three-page order in the matter, the bench said that during the last date of hearing, the representative of Regional Blood Centre (RBC), Quetta, stated that the centre is providing blood to the thalassaemia patients but ratio of collection of blood is slow. The representative of the RBC had given suggestions of a campaign to be launched on a regular basis to convince the general public for blood donation.

Bench adjourns hearing till September 9

During course proceedings on Wednesday, responding to the bench query, the Medical Superintendent (MS) of SPHQ submitted that according to his information, no such campaign has yet been launched by the RBC.  

To which the bench directed the office to issue notice to Dr Hanif Mengal, RBC Incharge, to appear before the court on the next date with complete details.

Appearing before the bench, the provincial chief law officer informed that about two months ago, health department was bifurcated in two different departments i.e. Secondary Health Care and Medical Education. He submitted that the department has to deal with tertiary care hospitals as well as teaching hospitals, saying Noor-ul-Haq Baloch heads the department as Secretary. He informed that the second department is Primary & Secondary Health Care which is to deal with all basic health units, rural health units, different health programmes including vaccination programmes saying it is headed by Azizullah Jamaldini as Secretary.

The bench issued directives to Noor-ul-Haq Baloch and Azizullah Jamaldini to appear before the court on the next date with relevant updates of their departments, whereas the court asked Advocate General to ensure attendance of both the officers before court on the next date with relevant detail.

During last date of hearing, Secretary SHC&ME has informed the court that in the current PSDP, the government has included construction of multi-storey building for SPHQ and in this regard a detailed feasibility study is yet to be conducted and the project will be started on the basis of suggestion / recommendation of the consultant.

The bench also appointed Advocate Ewaz Zehri as amicus curiae by this court in the matter to larger public interest. Later, the bench adjourned hearing till September 9.