20,000 patients get tokens to visit Pakistan in 3 months

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): About 20,000 patients and their relatives have travelled to Pakistan through a special commission without passports over the last three months.

The panel for transportation of patients examines the ailing people in Jalalabad daily. In case of need, gives patients permission (tokens) to go to Pakistan for medical treatment.

Mufti Ismatullah Yaqoob, the Torkham commissary chief, said some 20,000 patients and their relatives had crossed into Pakistan for treatment without visas over the past 90 days.

The patients/travelers were issued with special permits called tokens, he explained. Most of them were people whose treatment was impossible in the country.

He said: “Such patients legally go to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To ensure they face no problem, we have two stages.

“The first is to give refreshments to the deserving patients by the Public Health Commission. The second stage involves examining patients at the Torkham clinic.”

The commissar elaborated: “After their examination, emergency patients are given permission to cross into Pakhtunkhwa.”

Mufti Yaqoob claimed he had prevented corruption in this area and no one could take bribes from patients/ attendants to permit them to travel to Pakistan.

Mohammad Halim, who has been waiting for this process for a week, lately obtained permission for his patient. He said he would receive the token soon but the number of patients was high.

Obaidullah, another patient, urged the health department to talk to Pakistani authorities about an increase in the number of ailing people.

But officials say patients are still allowed to go in case of need.

The commissar said 110 to 130 patients were allowed daily to cross into Pakistan for medical treatment.

sa/mud