Kot Ghulam Muhammad

The state of the Kot Ghulam Muhammad Civil Hospital has become a matter of deep concern, with patients struggling to access even the most basic medical services while officials allegedly remain indifferent. Frustrated residents of village Manji Khan Lanjwani (Deh 289) staged a protest after a young patient was denied timely treatment, exposing the hospital’s alarming condition.

Patient Denied Treatment

According to details, a resident of village Manji Khan Lanjwani, Mohammad Younis Lanjwani son of Jaman Khan Lanjwani, fell seriously ill. His family rushed him to the Kot Ghulam Muhammad Civil Hospital in the hope of urgent medical care. However, despite waiting for two to three hours, no treatment was provided.

When the family pressed the hospital staff for immediate care, they were allegedly told by a doctor:

“We cannot treat your patient here. Take him to Mirpurkhas.”

The family further alleged that the patient was expelled from the hospital without being provided even a referral letter. To make matters worse, the hospital failed to provide an ambulance service, leaving the family helpless and distraught.

Voices of Protest

The patient’s family and other villagers expressed their outrage, saying:

• “Neither proper treatment is provided here, nor ambulances are available.”
• “Who should we complain to? Nobody listens.”
• “Despite millions allocated as budget, this hospital functions like an orphaned institution.”

The protesters demanded accountability, questioning where the hospital’s budget is being spent when critical facilities remain non-functional.

Hospital in Shambles

Reports highlight that several essential services at Kot Ghulam Muhammad Civil Hospital are completely non-operational:

• Operation theater: shut down.
• Dialysis center: closed.
• Medical store: not providing medicines.
• Laboratory services: unavailable.

Patients are forced to either travel long distances to Mirpurkhas or remain untreated. Locals argue that such negligence is a direct betrayal of the poor and vulnerable communities who depend on public hospitals for survival.

Budget Concerns

Protesters alleged that the millions of rupees allocated annually for the hospital disappear without trace. While officials continue to draw salaries, ordinary patients face neglect, lack of medicines, and unavailability of equipment. They accused corrupt practices of being the root cause of the crisis, insisting that urgent audits and investigations are necessary.

Appeal for Action

In their protest, villagers specifically appealed to relevant authorities and political representatives:

• MPA Alhaj Raees Noor Ahmed Khan Bhangar
• MNA Mir Manwar Ali Khan Talpur

They demanded that the government launch a thorough inquiry into the matter, identify those responsible for negligence and corruption, and ensure strict legal action against them.

The community emphasized that healthcare is a basic right, and poor citizens should not have to suffer due to inefficiency and mismanagement.

Larger Questions

This incident has once again highlighted the wider crisis in rural healthcare across Sindh. Many public hospitals in small towns exist only in name, with broken infrastructure, absent facilities, and staff either unwilling or unable to provide services. The plight of the poor patients of Kot Ghulam Muhammad Civil Hospital is a reflection of systemic neglect that continues to plague the province.

Community members questioned:

• “If hospitals with million-rupee budgets cannot provide medicines or basic tests, where is the money going?”
• “Why are poor patients always forced to travel to bigger cities for treatment?”
• “Will there ever be reform, or will public hospitals remain symbols of corruption and inefficiency?”

Conclusion

The protest at Kot Ghulam Muhammad Civil Hospital serves as a wake-up call for policymakers. It underlines the dire need for reforms, accountability, and investment in functional healthcare facilities. For the poor, the hospital is not just a building; it is their only hope for survival. Unless immediate steps are taken to restore services, provide medicines, and hold negligent staff accountable, the suffering of patients will only deepen.