Rawalpindi: Approval of at least five mega projects in health sector for Rawalpindi might resolve a number of problems being faced by residents of the city.
“Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif in a meeting with MNAs and MPAs of Rawalpindi Tuesday has approved construction of a campus for Rawalpindi Medical College, a separate Cardiac Institute and a separate Urology Institute along with establishment of a burn centre at Holy Family Hospital and a children ward at District Headquarters Hospital,” said PML-N MNA Muhammad Hanif Abbasi while talking to ‘The News’ Wednesday adding the projects could be termed the biggest initiative of the provincial government in health sector.
MNAs Hanif Abbasi and Haji Pervez along with MPAs Shehryar Riaz, Ziaullah Shah and Sarfraz Afzal attended the meeting. Provincial Health Secretary Dr Anwar Ahmed Khan was also present in the meting.
“The CM has approved construction of a campus for RMC on a piece of land measuring nearly 500 acres along Adyala Road,” said Hanif Abbasi adding construction of a 250 bedded separate Cardiac Institute on a piece of land measuring 44 kanals along Rawal Road has also been approved.
“PC-I of the planned cardiac institute has already been prepared,” said Abbasi adding the establishment of cardiac institute would cost Rs280 crore.
He added that the approved burn unit having capacity of 30 beds would be established at Holy Family Hospital. “However PC-I of the burn unit has not been prepared as yet,” he said.
The Urology Institute would be established in Dhoke Elahi Buksh on a place presently acquired by a veterinary hospital. “The CM has directed to submit PC-I of the urology institute within 10 days,” said Hanif Abbasi adding the approved children ward would be established at District Headquarters Hospital that has been facing problem of shortage of space for decades.
To a query, Hanif Abbasi said the CM has also directed the concerned departments to take necessary steps to hand over a piece of land presently acquired by the Rose Cinema to DHQ Hospital for establishment of children ward there. It is important that the matter of handing over Rose Cinema land to the hospital is pending in the court at present.
The DHQ Hospital chief Dr Khalid Iqbal Malik, when contacted by ‘The News’ Wednesday, said the gynaecology ward of the DHQ Hospital has also been facing acute shortage of space for long and the hospital has no other option but to keep two to three women patients both with antenatal (before giving birth to babies) and postnatal complications on a single bed and chances of infection from one patient to others cannot be ruled out there. He said the hospital that was established in 1981 has no paediatrics, orthopaedic and urology wards. “If the Rose Cinema land is given to us, we will establish an orthopaedic ward, urology ward and extension of existing gynaecology ward there.
