Daudkhel (By Zia Niazi)
The Daudkhel Rural Health Center is reportedly on the verge of collapse, with citizens complaining about the lack of medical treatment facilities, doctors, paramedical staff, and medicines. According to local residents, the health center remains without proper services, creating an atmosphere of helplessness for patients.
Recently, injured people suffering from gunshot wounds reached the hospital, but there was neither a doctor available nor electricity at the health center. Similarly, victims of road accidents are brought to the hospital, where they reportedly remain in critical condition without immediate treatment. Some lose their lives on the way, while only the fortunate ones survive and reach District Headquarters Hospital Mianwali.
Social figures of Daudkhel, including Tanveer Abid Khan, Shiraz Zafar, Shaukat Khan, Nauman Khan, former Chairman Zakat Committee Haji Ziaullah Khan, Mama Haq Nawaz Khan, Hanif Akash, and others, while speaking to the media, said that Daudkhel is a city with a population of around 100,000 people, and patients from dozens of surrounding areas also used to visit this health center.
They stated that now only the building of the hospital remains, while almost no facilities are available. They said that the name of Daudkhel Rural Health Center was changed to Maryam Nawaz Rural Health Center, and appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that if a hospital has been named after her, at least the dignity of that name should be maintained by providing basic healthcare facilities.
They said that last night, three young men from the nearby area of Tawheedabad (Gandha) were seriously injured in a firing incident and were immediately shifted to Daudkhel Rural Health Center by their families. However, they alleged that no doctor was present on duty, medicines were unavailable, electricity was also suspended at night, and the generator had not been operational for a long time.
The residents said that a few years ago, the same Rural Health Center Daudkhel used to receive around 350 to 400 patients daily in the OPD, but now the hospital presents a deserted scene.
They further alleged that a few months ago, a well-functioning hospital was renovated, with tiles removed and millions of rupees spent despite already having good wards constructed with cement support. They claimed that new tiles were installed only to spend funds unnecessarily, while the actual healthcare facilities continued to deteriorate.
The residents appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that the hospital named after her has neither doctors, paramedical staff, nor medicines. They stated that even a 10-rupee syringe is reportedly unavailable. They added that after the initial treatment issues, the injured persons were shifted to DHQ Hospital Mianwali by Rescue 1122.
They further said that later, a patient named Nasrullah Khan, suffering from breathing difficulties, was brought to Daudkhel Rural Health Center, but there was neither a doctor nor electricity available. The patient remained helpless and struggled for medical assistance.
The residents expressed frustration and said that if the health center cannot provide basic facilities, it would be better to close it so that the Punjab government could at least save the monthly salaries being paid to employees.
They appealed to MNA/MPA Aminullah Khan that Daudkhel’s only hospital, serving a population of around 100,000 people, has no doctors, medicines, paramedical staff, or electricity, causing darkness to prevail in the facility. They urged him to raise the issue in the Punjab Assembly despite being in opposition and demand immediate action for restoring healthcare services.
The residents said that millions of rupees are being allocated to the hospital every month, but the public is receiving no meaningful facilities, and the health sector has been severely damaged.