BAHAWALNAGAR-People expressed resentment over the government's decision to establish Child-Mother Care Hospital in Chishtian which-as per the previous plan-was set to be built in Bahawalnagar.
As per the official sources, the Punjab government had announced the establishment of a 200-bed Child-Mother Care Hospital in Bahawalnagar with an estimated cost of more than Rs1,000 million. The initiative was taken to minimise death ratio during childbirth, and the initiative was highliy hailed by the people of Bahawalnagar. Initially, funds of Rs10 million were allocated for the purpose, and the local administration earmarked a 200-kanal piece of state land in front of Rescue 1122 office for the establishment of the hospital. Meanwhile, politicians from Chishtian intervened and tried to exploit the situation for political gains through relocation of the proposed hospital from Bahawalnagar to Chishtian. The conspiracy, hatched by the politicians, was strengthened with help from their aides in the local administration. They proposed a land at Chak 14/G which was earlier proposed for the establishment of Agriculture University campus.
However, smelling the odour of the conspiracy, local people strongly resented the move and raised their voice against it. They said that Bahawalnagar District Headquarters Hospital was already overcrowded, and could not cater to the health problems of 2.9 million people. "So, the establishment of another health facility centre in Bahawalnagar is urgent," they added. They vowed not to materialise the conspiracy at any cost. They demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar take serious notice of the political exploitation.