215. R.S.S. Jawala Singh Sardar Mahan Singh Hospital, Munde (Munday), district Chakwal.

My first visit to Munde was on 20 November 2025. The purpose of my visit was to see a historic school in the village, Hira Singh Khalsa School Munde. This school is a great legacy of Sardar Chet Singh and his family. The foundation of this school was laid in 1918, and after the passage of more than a century, this beacon is still spreading the light of knowledge in this area.

However, only while writing about this school and another school in Neela, Sardar Sahib Mota Singh School, did I come to know that the philanthropic spirit of Sardar Chet Singh and his family was not confined only to these educational institutions (he contributed his efforts to some institutions in Chakwal as well), but also extended to many other schemes of social uplift and public benefit. One such noble work was the establishment of a hospital in his native village, Munde.

Location:

This hospital is located almost in the middle of the village along its main street at 32°59’29.35″N, 72°40’47.97″E. About two hundred meters southeast of the above-mentioned school. Munde village is located in the district of Chakwal and the tehsil is also Chakwal. Until 1980, it this area was part of the district Jhelum.

History:

Two plaques fixed on the building provide valuable information about the history of the hospital. The hospital was built in 1927 by Sardar Chet Singh and his sons, Sardar Jagat Singh s/o Rai Sahib Sardar Jawala Singh and Gopal Singh s/o Sardar Mahan Singh. Later on, a Female Ward was added to this hospital. This ward was also built by Sardar Chet Singh in memory of his wife, Sardarni Harsaran Kaur, who died on 23 March 1929. It was a great humanitarian gesture in memory of his beloved wife. May their souls rest in peace.

This building is not in good conditioin, but this monument to serve humani

As you can see above, the plaques are not in good shape. The black paint of the letters on the first plaque has faded, and the text on the second plaque is almost illegible due to a thick coat of paint over it. However, Sardar Rattan Deep Singh Kohli s/o Ajit Singh, a grandson of Sardar Chet Singh, provided me with clearer pictures of these two plaques. Sardar Rattan ji currently resides in Delhi.

Currently, this hospital is not functional, and the building is owned by the government and leased to a local person. However, the health facilities for which Sardar Chet Singh laid the foundation are still continuing. This facility has now developed into a much bigger and better government hospital. I am sure that the reward for this noble act of kindness is still being received by Sardar Chet Singh in heaven. I wish that this building, built by him in love for his wife and to serve humanity, be preserved; at least the two plaques are a precious memory of our past and heritage.

Tariq Amir

April 3, 2026.
Islamabad