Health Department willing to waste millions but not ready to complete DHQ Hospital

Mandi Bahauddin(Sher Gondal) : Project of District Headquarters 258-bed hospital construction approved in 2007 and started in 2010 has yet not been completed.

The project was sanctioned in 2005 by the then President Gen Musharraf. It was decided that Federal and Punjab Government would share cost of the project at 50, 5o. Completion period was fixed as two years. The land was acquired and construction began when Parvez Elahi was Punjab Chief Minister.

During PPP government construction was stopped halfway. In the meantime PML-N came into power in 2013. PML-N did not pay any attention to this halfway left project. Now the structure is standing in between half constructed boundary wall. Material has been lying on the site and getting unserviceable.

Farmers from the vicinity are cultivating land of the hospital and its vacant land is turned into grazing ground for cattle. When this scribe visited the hospital site Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital Saad Gondal accompanied by Doctor Yar Muhammad Eye Specialist reached there.

The MD when asked said he went the other day to Lahore and requested Punjab Health Secretary to release required funds for completion of the hospital scheme. He said he demanded 55 million for the hospital. He further told that the old hospital is Tehsil level hospital and after Mandi Bahauddin becoming district designation of hospital was changed to DHQ.

He said the existing hospital has only 50 beds and did not meet requirement of the people. With construction of the new hospital health service in this district would be sufficient for the inhabitants of the area. He also complained about shortage of accommodation of the old hospital. People of the district have urged CM Punjab to take notice of the issue and release funds for completion of health project.