Attock: A state-of-the-art health facility in District Attock has become a source of frustration for local residents as the hospital has a modern building, a newly constructed emergency department, nursing staff, laboratory and X-ray facilities, and an operation theatre - but no doctors.The Maryam Nawaz Health Center Chhab, located in Chhab, a sub-tehsil and Union Council of Jand Tehsil in District Attock, has reportedly been without a doctor for the past month. As a result, its outpatient department (OPD) is non-functional, while patients arriving in emergency are being referred to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.According to local residents, millions of rupees have been spent on upgrading the facility, including the construction of a new state-of-the-art emergency department. However, they say the absence of doctors has rendered much of the investment ineffective.The health center has six sanctioned posts for doctors - five for male doctors and one for a female doctor. Residents claim that all six po sitions are currently vacant. The contract of the only doctor previously working at the facility has also expired, leaving the health center without a doctor.Despite this, around 40 to 50 other employees are reportedly working at the facility, including four dispensers, five staff nurses, two Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), a clerk, a midwife and other support staff.Residents say the facility is the only hospital serving seven Union Councils and could provide essential healthcare services to thousands of people if its vacant medical positions were filled.In an appeal to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the provincial health authorities, residents urged the government to immediately appoint doctors and make the emergency department fully operational.They pointed out that the area is officially classified as a hard area, where attracting and retaining medical professionals is already considered difficult. Despite this, they said, instead of receiving additional doctors after the construction o f the new emergency facility, the hospital has been left without a single doctor.'Laboratory testing and X-ray facilities are available, and the entire support staff is present, but there is no doctor to examine and treat patients,' residents said.They also raised concerns over the availability of an ambulance that was reportedly donated to the facility. According to the complaint submitted to the health authorities, the ambulance allegedly remained parked in a garage for nearly a year because it had not been registered or assigned a number.Residents further alleged that patients were consequently forced to hire private ambulances and claimed that some local staff members received commissions ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 per patient. These allegations could not be independently verified.The residents have called for an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the ambulance and demanded action against anyone found responsible.They have specifically requested the immediate appointment of a f emale gynecologist and a male doctor, followed by the filling of all remaining vacant medical posts.The residents argue that the health center has an excellent building and infrastructure and that completing the medical staffing would allow the government's investment to directly benefit the public.The area is also economically significant, as gas and oil are extracted from the region and contribute to Pakistan's energy sector and economy.Residents said the government was spending millions of rupees to improve healthcare infrastructure, but administrative failures were preventing people from benefiting from those investments.They appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate notice of the situation, ensure the appointment of doctors and order an inquiry into the alleged administrative lapses.Questions were sent to the Punjab Health Minister seeking the government's position on the matter. However, no response had been received by the time the report was finalized. The news agency said th e minister's response would be published if and when it is received.