A controversial administrative decision to relocate Mianwali’s 450-bed District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital into a 200-bed Mother and Child Care Hospital has triggered a healthcare crisis, prompting angry patients and their attendants to stage protests and block roads.

The move occurred a few months ago, just before the visit of a senior government figure. Officials reportedly devised a plan to merge the DHQ Hospital into the Mother and Child Care Hospital, which had been named after a rival political personality. The transfer occurred overnight; the Mother and Child Care Hospital’s nameplate was removed, and the facility was redesignated as the DHQ Hospital.

The original DHQ Hospital had a capacity of 450 beds and served patients from across Mianwali district and surrounding areas. In contrast, the Mother and Child Care Hospital was built with a 200-bed capacity and was specifically established to provide gynecology and pediatric services.

Authorities shifted the DHQ Hospital to the smaller facility while announcing plans to convert the original DHQ premises into a medical college and teaching hospital.

However, the relocation placed the burden of approximately 450 additional beds on a facility designed for less than half that capacity, severely straining its infrastructure and services.

The situation has worsened to the extent that, according to local reports, the re-designated DHQ Hospital is functioning without an emergency department. Patients are reportedly being accommodated two to a bed, while the excessive load has caused the sewerage system, kitchen facilities, and cooling system to break down.

The extreme summer heat in Mianwali further intensified the hardships faced by patients and their families, eventually sparking protests outside the hospital.

Demonstrators blocked a road and demanded that the DHQ Hospital be shifted back to its original building, which they said has remained vacant for months despite the announcement that it would be converted into a teaching hospital.

Protesters said no teaching hospital has been established at the old premises, nor has the building been put to any other public use. They argued that patients are bearing the consequences of an ill-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 searching for a way to operate what is effectively a 650-bed healthcare load within facilities designed for only 200 beds.