A viral video circulating on social media claims that a well-known public teaching hospital in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been seized by individuals who are now illegally renting parts of the building.
This video has sparked widespread outrage, with many Pakistani social media users criticizing the provincial government’s failure or complicity in reclaiming state property.
The statement is misleading.
Say
On November 27, a user posted a three-minute video on X (formerly Twitter) with the title: “Anything is possible in Swat. “A person has occupied the building of Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital and is now renting it for Rs 200,000.”
The video shows a person claiming that the ground floor of the hospital, previously used as an ambulance parking area, has been converted into a hotel. The video also alleges that the upper floors are rented to individuals.
At the time of writing, this post has garnered over 4,000 views, over 150 likes, and 49 shares.
The same video was also posted on Facebook.
Made
The claim in the video is misleading and leaves out key details.
While it is true that some parts of the Saidu Sharif Hospital building were once illegally occupied by private individuals, those areas have since been vacated. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department now rents the space to generate revenue for the hospital.
Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals is a public hospital serving Swat, Malakand and Kohistan regions. It is affiliated to Saidu Medical College in Swat.
Dr Sharafat Ali Khan, medical superintendent of Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, said Geographic data verification that the building had been illegally occupied for more than 30 years by shop owners who had built a shopping center within the hospital premises. A few years ago, the provincial government took legal action against these occupants, resulting in their eviction. Now, the health department has control of the building and rents it to generate income, with an annual rent increase of 15%.
However, some parts of the building are still occupied and legal proceedings are underway to resolve this issue, he added.
Geographic data verification He then contacted Attaullah Khan, the public relations officer of the KP health department, who also confirmed that the building had been under illegal occupation since 1978. In 2011, the provincial government took the case to the Supreme Court and obtained a ruling your favor. , which led to the eviction of the store owners.
Currently, the health department rents the spaces at fixed rates, with annual rent increases of 15%. But Khan also added that some parts of the building are still in dispute.
Verdict: While the building was previously illegally occupied by private individuals, it is now under the management of the KP health department, which rents it out to generate revenue for the hospital.
