United Christian Hospital (UCH), Lahore, once stood as a beacon of service and healing under the slogan “Compassionate Healing.” For decades, it was a place of dignity, professionalism, and hope — not just for the Christian community, but for Pakistan as a whole.
But over the past thirty years, UCH has been systematically destroyed, not by external forces, but by the very church leadership entrusted with its protection. Instead of preserving and strengthening one of the community’s most valuable institutions, leaders have clung to power, mismanaged resources, and allowed corruption, incompetence, and internal politics to rot it from within.
A Leadership of Ruin
For the last three decades, Pakistani church leadership has had absolute control over UCH. What was once a thriving hospital with respected doctors and nurses has been reduced to an empty shell. Equipment lies unused, wards are abandoned, and the institution is nearly non-functional.
This collapse is not accidental — it is the direct result of:
- Internal conflicts and politics within church circles.
- Corruption and vested interests that treated UCH property as a personal asset rather than a community resource.
- Incompetent leadership with no understanding of hospital management.
- Loss of the founding mission of “Compassionate Healing.”
Instead of owning up to their failure, the same leadership now seems determined to finish off what little remains of the institution.
The Latest Attack: An Illegal Appointment
The latest blow comes from the so-called executive committee of unregistered, illegal, and unconstitutional “Board of Directors” headed by Bishop Leo Paul. This group has unilaterally appointed Mr. Shazar Shaukat as the administrator of UCH — without following any legal or transparent process.
This appointment raises serious questions:
- By what legal authority is an unregistered and unconstitutional board making decisions about UCH?
- Why are leaders, who have already failed for decades, still imposing new administrators instead of allowing independent and professional governance?
- Is this appointment a genuine attempt at revival — or the last step in preparing the hospital’s property for sale?
For many in the community, the answer is clear: this is not an act of revival but a final attempt to dispose of UCH’s property and wash their hands of the hospital once and for all.
A Betrayal of Trust
The Christian community of Pakistan built UCH with sacrifice, donations, and the hard work of missionaries who dedicated their lives to service. It was never meant to be the private property of bishops or church boards.
Yet today, decisions about its future are being made behind closed doors, without community consultation, transparency, or accountability. Ordinary Christians — the true stakeholders — are being denied a voice, while church leaders maneuver to benefit themselves.
This is not leadership. This is betrayal.
What Must Be Done
The community must not remain silent. To protect what little remains of UCH and to prevent the outright loss of this historic institution, urgent steps are needed:
- Immediate Halt of Illegal Actions: The appointment of Mr. Shazar Shaukat by an unconstitutional board must be declared null and void.
- Independent Investigation: A neutral, independent inquiry should be launched into the decades of mismanagement and corruption at UCH.
- Transfer of Control: The hospital’s management should be handed over to a professional, transparent board of trustees — including doctors, educators, philanthropists, and community representatives — not bishops or politicians.
- Legal Safeguards: The property of UCH must be protected by law to ensure it cannot be sold, mortgaged, or misused by any individual or group.
- Community Mobilization: The Christian community in Pakistan, as well as alumni, medical professionals, and international partners, must raise their voices against this ongoing exploitation.
Conclusion
United Christian Hospital did not die because it was unsustainable — it was killed by decades of failed leadership. Now, instead of reviving it, church leaders appear to be mounting their final attack: an illegal appointment that paves the way for selling off the hospital’s valuable property.
The community must wake up. If UCH is lost, it will not only mark the death of a hospital but also the death of trust in church leadership. The slogan of “Compassionate Healing” deserves to live again — but it will only be possible if the hospital is freed from the clutches of those who destroyed it in the first place.
This is not just about a building in Lahore; it is about whether the Christian community of Pakistan will allow its heritage to be sold off piece by piece, or whether it will stand up, reclaim its institutions, and demand accountability.
Written by: Riaz Naveed
UCH Lovers
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