Three community health centres inaugurated in capital’s rural areas

Islamabad : As many as three community health centres have been inaugurated on the peripheries of the federal capital in the last one week with a target of improving patient care in union councils of Rawat, Tarnol and Shah Allah Ditta, which according to the District Health Office Islamabad, would cater to the needs of over 500000 people living in these areas.

The CHC being established at Rawat would be able to provide healthcare services to a population of over 250000 people while the CHCs in Tarnol and Shah Allah Ditta would cater to the needs of over 150000 people and 100000 people respectively, said District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday. He added the CHCs would have a capacity of 40 to 60 beds and would be equipped properly for providing primary healthcare services to the patients of the areas.

Inauguration of the Community Health Centre (CHC) Rawat was held on Thursday by Raja Khuram Nawaz, accompanied by the District Health Officer Islamabad and his team while the other two CHCs were inaugurated by MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan on Saturday in Tarnol and Shah Allah Ditta.

Dr. Zaeem said the CHCs would offer a range of vital services such as maternity care, paediatrics care, OPDs and vaccination with the aim of significantly improving access to quality healthcare for the residents of the area. In a short period of time, the CHCs would be able to operate round the clock as per the instructions of the prime minister and the secretary health.

He said the initiative has been widely appreciated by the local community elders, who expressed their happiness and gratitude. The CHCs would have facilities of ambulances as well to cater to the needs of the people of the areas, said the DHO terming the step a significant milestone in advancing healthcare accessibility in the region.

He added the health department is focusing on health transformation and hopefully, the process of hiring and recruitment of the required staff for the CHCs would be finalized within a year and after that, the CHCs would be able to operate services of operation theatres too. It would be a model healthcare system and would help a lot in reducing patients’ burden at Islamabad hospitals particularly Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Poly Clinic Hospital, he said.

He said the health department would soon inaugurate CHCs in Bari Imam, Sohan, Kirpa and Sihala where the infrastructure is about to be completed. The CHCs would help establish a proper referral system in the federal capital, he said.