Rawalpindi to have children’s hospital: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Kh Salman Rafiq Wednesday said Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi were catering the patients’ load not only from Rawalpindi but also from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Due to this, the number of patients at times was more than its bed capacity.

According to a handout, he said this while talking to Vice-Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Prof Muhammad Umer on telephone. The minister asked the vice-chancellor to get details regarding treatment facilities for children in the pediatric ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Prof Umer informed the Minister that pediatric ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital had 102 beds for patients and another 10 beds were reserved for the mothers of admitted children. To cater the increased number of patients, 20 extra beds had been allocated for patients. He was of the view that due to the cold weather, the seasonal diseases of children has increased and patient load was enhanced accordingly.

The hospital administration was accommodating extra load in a befitting manner by providing additional beds. He said the doctors and nurses of the hospital were providing best healthcare to the patients.

Kh Salman Rafiq appreciated the pediatric ward staff for catering extra load of the patients. He said the government had taken initiative to establish a children hospital at Rawalpindi. The vice-chancellor said the government had approved a scheme for extension of pediatric ward at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital at a cost of Rs140 million. It would enhance the treatment facilities and capacity of the accommodation.