Daily Times

The Government of Punjab accorded approval for the establishment of a Children’s Hospital at Bahawalpur with the support of the Korean agency of development. The project was initiated by Shahbaz Sharif led PML-N government which was stopped by the interim government. A Planning and Development Board spokesman said the health sector development scheme was expected to be completed with an estimated cost of Rs5 billion. The scheme was approved in the 10th meeting of the PDWP in 2016-17 year. It was presided over by P&D Board chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan. P&D Board Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo also attended the meeting. The Punjab government has revived a scheme to establish a children’s hospital on Jhangiwali Road adjacent to the Government Civil Hospital. The proposed 350-bed hospital is likely to be constructed with the financial assistance of South Korea. Quaid-i-Azam Medical College Principal Prof Dr Javed Iqbal (who is the chief executive officer of five health facilities) told Dawn that Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid had given a go-ahead for the project with its preliminary arrangements. The original proposal of the construction of a children’s hospital with the co-funding by South Korea was floated by former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. Subsequently, there was no headway in the project. Dr Iqbal said the health minister during her last week’s visit to the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) had asked him to move a summary to the health department, 28-acre piece of state land adjacent to the civil hospital was available for the project which is expected to cost Rs5,008 million. He said South Korea was likely to contribute to the project the PC-1 of which had been prepared but it was under the active consideration of the Punjab health department to open a new gynecology ward at the Government Civil Hospital and establish a children’s emergency ward at the BVH and the concept paper had been submitted to the government.