Christian Hospital Taxila made headlines in 2002 when a grenade attack on a chapel inside killed four Christian nurses. Pope John Paul II was deeply grieved by the “reprehensible assaults on innocent life.”
Established in 1922, the facility specializes in eye dis-eases and occupies 38 acres in Taxila, 40 kilometers west of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
Swedish nun Wenny Lekardal, who served here as a nurse for 27 years, was award-ed the President’s Award for Pride of Performance this March. The Swedish embassy in Pakistan shared video footage of the event on its Facebook page.
However, scandals of nepotism, corruption and maladministration lurk behind the scenes.
“Another Christian institute is getting closed. The community should raise its voice aga-inst these incompetent people. Government or other forces might nationalize it. We strongly demand that hospital board members take urgent action against this administration,” Roheel Zafar Shahi, an activist, stated in a Facebook post.
The accompanying videos showed nurses and hospital staff protesting over unpaid wages and arguing with administrators. The protesters included Dr. Felix Gill who has been waiting for his monthly salary since May.