Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, informed the National Assembly on Friday that a new 1,100-bed hospital will be built in Islamabad’s I-11 sector. During the question hour, he said, “The project is in its final planning stage, and we expect the groundbreaking ceremony to be held in the first week of April.” He added that if everything goes according to plan, healthcare services at the new hospital will begin by August 2027. The minister also talked about steps being taken to improve primary healthcare services. He said that eight Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) are planned to start operations this year. “This will help establish an effective referral system, ensuring that primary and secondary healthcare centers manage cases at their level, while major hospitals like PIMS focus on critical patients,” he explained. He said these efforts will reduce the burden on the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the largest government hospital in Islamabad. “We aim to improve healthcare services and provide timely, quality treatment for everyone,” he added. Mukhtar Ahmad also informed about the opening of Islamabad’s first-ever Stroke Intervention Center in the public sector. “Until now, there was no such facility available in the public sector in the capital,” he said. The minister further informed that construction of a new 200-bed emergency hospital will be completed by June this year. “The building is finished, and we are in the process of procuring medical equipment. The Letter of Credit (LC) has already been opened,” he stated. He also mentioned that a 200-bed cancer hospital is expected to be completed by June 2026, and the government plans for it to be fully operational by then. Speaking about PIMS, he said it is a 1,200-bed hospital that serves over 8,000 patients daily, including outpatient and emergency cases. Despite the high patient load, PIMS continues to provide free treatment and does not turn anyone away. “This is a big responsibility,” he added.