RTH, RMC at loggerheads over vacant plot

Both parties claim rightful use of Roz Cinema site at Fawara Chowk, citing urgent needs

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital (RTH) has approached the Rawalpindi Commissioner, Board of Revenue (BoR), the Punjab secretary health, and the District Development Committee to construct a Surgical Tower and 100-bed Trauma Centre on the site of the demolished Roz Cinema at Fawara Chowk, Raja Bazaar.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), which has already built a boundary wall around the site, has proposed a multi-storey parking plaza at the same location.

The historic hospital at Fawara Chowk—formerly the District Headquarters Hospital and now upgraded to Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital—is situated adjacent to the site of the old Roz Cinema. After the lease of the cinema expired and a court stay order was lifted, the RMC demolished the structure and enclosed the one kanal eight marla plot with a high boundary wall. The Corporation then submitted a proposal to the Punjab government for the construction of a parking plaza on the site.

On the other hand, RTH currently operates with a severely limited emergency facility of just 30 beds, and is overburdened with patients. The hospital administration has proposed the construction of a Surgical Tower, helipad, and a 100-bed trauma center on the site.

According to Dr Ikramullah Khan Niazi, the Medical Superintendent of RTH, the site was originally allotted to the hospital in 2006, but construction could not proceed due to a court stay order. Now that the legal hurdles have been cleared, the hospital has once again submitted the proposal to the Secretary of Health.

The matter has also been brought to the attention of the Rawalpindi Commissioner, who has referred it to the BoR. The issue was raised in a meeting of the District Development Committee, where officials highlighted the urgent need for expansion due to the hospital's overwhelming patient load.

If approved, the project would not only establish a modern trauma center but also include a helipad for air ambulance services on the rooftop, significantly enhancing emergency healthcare delivery in the region, Niazi added.

However, when contacted, Chief Officer of the RMC, Imran Ali, says the vacated land is municipal property, and the Corporation intends to construct a multi-storey parking plaza there.

The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and provide parking solutions for the surrounding areas, including Fawara Chowk, Raja Bazaar, Kashmiri Bazaar, Ganjmandi, Liaquat Road, Iqbal Road, and Jinnah Road, he adds.