RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Hub and Spoke Model Hospital (HSMH), Zahirpir, a project for the rural as well as urban areas at the junction of three tehsils near Sukkur Multan Motorway (M-5), is still non-functional despite the completion of its beautiful building over a year ago.

Initially, the project was announced as Spoke Trauma in 2021 by then Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regime. The town of Zahirpir in tehsil Khanpur, about 60 kilometers from the district headquarters, was selected as the site.

The Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP) pre-qualified general contractors in July 2021 for a 60-bed trauma facility with an estimated cost of Rs1.617 billion. The construction was planned over 71,687 square feet of a total 352,000 square feet land area. The project included civil, architectural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical works, requiring material, labour, and equipment deployment.

The construction began, but the project’s scope expanded and its name was changed to Hub and Spoke Model Hospital (HSMH) Zahirpir. The bed capacity was increased to 108 with enhanced healthcare facilities, according to Deputy Project Director Fawad. The cost of the project was revised twice and once reverted, as IDAP sought additional funding from the government.

Rs5m worth of wire stolen; Mepco official says landlords don’t allow poles on their agri tracts

Fawad said one of the key issues delaying operationalisation is the supply of electricity. Although a demand notice for millions of rupees was paid to Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) eight months ago, the power supply remains pending, preventing installation of medical equipment. Fawad promised to explain the hurdles and hand over process to the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SH&MED), but later stopped responding to calls from this correspondent.

Meanwhile, PTI MPA Saima Kanwal raised the issue in the Punjab Assembly on April 9, 2025, through an adjournment motion. She revealed that high-tension electric wire worth Rs5 million was stolen from a dedicated power line being laid from the Mianwali Qureshian grid station to HSMH Zahirpir. According to her, the theft occurred along 14 electric poles situated near the National Highway (N-5). Kanwal criticised both Mepco and the hospital contractor for failing to ensure security of the project.

Mepco Mianwali Qureshian Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Allah Din said the responsibility for the dedicated power line lay with Mepco RRE department. He alleged that powerful individuals, with the help of locals, used specialised tools to steal the 11KV conductor wire in front of a petrol pump on the highway. Despite the payment made months ago, he said the line had been under slow construction for over six months. A first information report (FIR) has been filed at the Rukanpur police station.

Contrary to these claims, Mepco Rahim Yar Khan Senior Engineer Rafiq Kanwal told Dawn that electricity is not the main issue. He claimed that temporary power could have been arranged within days if the hospital administration had requested it. According to him, the main obstacle was the refusal of local landlords to allow installation of poles on their agricultural land. He added that an inquiry committee has been formed by the RRE department to investigate the wire theft.

When contacted for clarification, IDAP Project Director Aamir said he had directed Deputy Project Director Fawad to handle the matter. However, Fawad remained unavailable and did not respond to multiple attempts for a comment.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025