MANSEHRA: The people of Karori and neighbouring villages here on Sunday demanded upgradation of the basic health unit (BHU) in Nimal area to a rural health centre (RHC).

“The BHU is without adequate facilities, forcing patients move to Oghi and Mansehra hospitals to seek treatment,” Hafiz Mohammad Yusuf, a former Oghi deputy tehsil nazim, told reporters.

Flanked by a group of locals, he said the residents had met the health department’s high-ups to upgrade the BHU, but to no avail.

The former nazim said the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government couldn’t upgrade the facility during its 10-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said women suffering from complicated health issues were often taken to health facilities in Mansehra city.

He threatened that the residents would agitate if the secretary health didn’t issue directives for upgrading this health facility.

Separately, the people of Oghi on Sunday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to revive the mineral transportation tax imposed by the previous tehsil council.

“Our area is enriched with mineral resources, and former tehsil council had imposed a levy on transportation of these minerals to markets across the country, but the then PTI government had withdrawn it,” Umar Khattab Jalwal, a social activist, told reporters in Oghi.

Flanked by local residents, he said transportation of minerals, particularly granite, had damaged the area roads. He said excavation of minerals had also resulted in drying up of streams and destruction of forests, adversely affecting the local environment.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2023