Three more hospitals for capital

Land allotted, work will start soon to add 1,800 more beds

Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry yesterday said three more hospitals, with a capacity of 600-beds each, would be constructed in the federal capital.

“The Prime Minister has approved construction of three more hospitals in the capital to meet the needs of ailing people,” he informed the National Assembly in response to a calling attention notice. “It will add 1,800 more beds to existing capacity of the hospitals. The CDA has allocated 20 kanals [1 hectare] land for these hospitals and work will start sooner.”

The minister acknowledged that existing hospitals were overloaded with patients as cheaper treatment was provided to ailing people there.

He said there was no shortage of medicines at Poly Clinic. If any time any medicine was out of stock, the hospital purchased it from the open market to facilitate patients.

Answering a question, he said as per practice the contract for provision of medicines was awarded to the lowest bidder, but their quality was ensured under certain criteria.

He said the hospitals in capital were randomly checked and if any official was found involved in negligence, he was penalized.

Tariq Fazal said the main reason for overloading on the hospitals was cheaper treatment for government servants and private patients. But, when this load would be divided to new hospitals, the facilities would further improve, he added.