More than fifty thousand residents in Gondal Mandi and its neighbouring communities are being denied access to essential medical services due to an inordinate delay in the rebuilding of their local hospital, placing critically ill patients and accident victims at grave risk.
According to a report today, voicing a growing sense of deprivation, prominent socio-political figures from the area have made a direct appeal to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, urging her to personally intervene and expedite the long-stalled reconstruction project.
The hospital building, erected approximately thirty years ago on four kanals and two marlas of donated land, has deteriorated into a hazardous structure. Community leaders described the facility as dilapidated and dangerously flooded with rainwater and sewerage, rendering it unfit for any official use.
Consequently, doctors, nurses, and other paramedical staff are reportedly absent from the facility. This forces emergency cases, including casualties from road accidents and patients with cardiac conditions, to be perilously transported to alternative hospitals in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Attock, and Hazro.
The delegation of local leaders, including Qazi Badar Manzoor Lumbardar, Malik Abdul Rashid, Fiyaz Ahmed, Qazi Basharat Siddique, and Lala Mohammad Ghous, noted that a grant of Rs. 550 million for the hospital”s reconstruction had been previously allocated by former provincial minister Syed Yawar Abbas. However, the project never materialised due to what they termed “political issues.”
Furthermore, they stated that the sitting MNA for Attock, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, had promised to address the situation during his election campaign, but no tangible action has been taken despite frequent requests from the public.
Local circles also highlighted a significant financial grievance, pointing out that the Punjab Government earns an estimated Rs. 400 million per year from the Gondal Mandi weekly cattle market. They alleged that not a single penny of this revenue is spent on the area”s development, suggesting this neglect may be a result of political interference.
The urgent plea for intervention aims to restore vital healthcare for the populations of Gondal Mandi, Madrota, Fatoo Chak, and the surrounding region, who are currently left without a functional local hospital.