RUSTAM/BUNER – The single-lane arterial road connecting Buner to Mardan via Rustam has reached a breaking point,badly affecting patients with surgical injuries and trauma.
Doctors at Buner’s main health facilities report that critical surgical patients—primarily those with road accident trauma, head injuries, and internal bleeding—are losing their “Golden Hour” of survival.
A journey to the Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), which usually takes 90 minutes, is now stretching to 2 to 3 hours due to total gridlock at the narrow Ambela Pass.
The road is currently under immense strain because it is being used as the primary alternative for heavy traffic of marble stone trucks. The winding, mountainous pass is not designed for the current volume of multi-axle trucks and containers, leading to frequent vehicle breakdowns that paralyze the entire route.
While Buner has recently introduced telemedicine to reduce travel for minor cases, patients requiring emergency surgery must be transported to Mardan or Peshawar.
Paramedics from Rescue 1122 have expressed grave concern that ambulance oxygen supplies are being exhausted while vehicles are stuck in miles-long queues near Rustam.
Residents and health activists are, demanding that the provincial government immediately designate the road as a “Medical Emergency Corridor.” and start work on blacktopping while connecting it to Swat expressway through Sawabi.
They are calling for a ban on heavy transport vehicles during peak morning and evening hours.
Read also:Buner residents demand Ameer Muqam to start work on Sawabi-Buner expressway
