Punjab govt to release Rs400m for Nishtar Hospital phase-II

MULTAN: The Punjab government has decided releasing Rs400 million for upgradation of emergencies of Nishtar Hospital and Institute of Cardiology to overcome the growing problems of the hospital, sources disclosed on Wednesday.

The Nishtar Hospital phase-II will help tackle the load of patients. Former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif initiated extension in the hospital and ordered allocating land for it in August last.

A technical committee had suggested constructing new blocks of admin and medical services to improve services at the emergency wards while classrooms would also be constructed. He also directed the officials to prepare a detailed report for the construction of trauma centres on divisional highways.

The Planning Commission had finalised the PC-I of Nishtar Hospital phase-II in October last as the phase-II will comprise of 500 beds initially which will later be increased to 2,000 beds. The Multan administration has also recommended establishing a medical college and a university in future, said the officials.

Phase-II would be constructed on 10 acres in the beginning as the total allocated land for it would be 339 acres. The technical committee had recommended establishment of phase-II at Moaza Hamidpur Kanora on Multan-Muzaffargarh road near Nag Shah.

Pakistan Medical Association president Prof Dr Masoodur Rauf Haraj said the PMA delegation had met with Punjab Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik and he told the doctors that Rs200 million each would be released to each Multan Nishtar Hospital and Institute of Cardiology.

Prof Haraj said Multan was facing critical shortage of medical staff and teaching faculties at the teaching hospitals. He said the new building of District Headquarter Hospital had been completed but it is not shifted to the new building. The hospitals in Multan were facing acute shortage of life-saving drugs and patients were compelled to purchase medicines from outside.

He said the minister had promised resolution of health affairs and preventing transfers of doctors from Multan to other districts due to shortage at Nishtar Hospital.