MIANWALI:
A controversial administrative decision to relocate the 450-bed Mianwali district central hospital (DHQ) to a 200-bed mother and child care hospital has sparked a health crisis, prompting angry patients and their attendants to stage protests and block roads.
The measure occurred a few months ago, just before the visit of a high government figure. Officials reportedly hatched a plan to merge the DHQ Hospital with the Mother and Child Care Hospital, named after a rival political figure. The transfer occurred overnight; The Maternal and Child Care Hospital nameplate was removed and the facility was redesignated as DHQ Hospital.
The original DHQ hospital had a capacity of 450 beds and served patients from across Mianwali district and surrounding areas. Instead, the Maternal and Child Hospital was built with a capacity of 200 beds and was established specifically to provide gynecology and pediatric services.
Authorities moved the DHQ Hospital to a smaller facility and at the same time announced plans to convert the original DHQ premises into a medical college and teaching hospital.
However, the relocation meant the burden of approximately 450 additional beds in a facility designed for less than half that capacity, severely straining its infrastructure and services.
The situation has worsened to the point that, according to local reports, the new DHQ hospital is operating without an emergency service. Patients are reportedly being accommodated two to a bed, while the excessive load has caused the sewage system, kitchen facilities and refrigeration system to break down.
The extreme summer heat in Mianwali further intensified the difficulties faced by patients and their families, eventually sparking protests in front of the hospital.
Protesters blocked a road and demanded that DHQ Hospital return to its original building, which they said remained empty for months despite the announcement that it would become a teaching hospital.
Protesters said no teaching hospital has been established on the former premises nor has the building been put to any other public use. They argued that patients bear the consequences of a poorly planned administrative decision.
The controversy has already led to administrative changes. The medical superintendent (MS) of the hospital was replaced, followed by the transfer of the deputy commissioner. However, critics say authorities have yet to resolve the underlying crisis and continue to search for a way to operate what is effectively a 650-bed health care load within facilities designed for only 200 beds.
