Construction work on MNCH centre at Bhara Kahu to begin this week

Islamabad : The construction work on one of the three Mother Neonate and Child Health (MNCH) Centres planned to be built in the most congested and thickly populated union councils of Islamabad namely Bhara Kahu, Rawat and Tarnol is being started this week.

The site for construction of MNCH in Bhara Kahu is in the possession of the Health Department Islamabad, funds have been transferred to the Pak PWD and the tendering process has been completed by them for the construction work that is being started next week, said District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Durrani while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday.

He added the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Aamer Mehmood Kiani has consented to grace the occasion for the stone laying ceremony on Monday (today).

The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination has launched this project of MNCH including immunization in Pakistan by a 24/7 Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (EmONC) services in the ICT health facilities through SAARC Development Fund (SDF). That will ease ever increasing pressure on gynaecology and obstetrics departments of the two main public sector hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Polyclinic, he said.

He added the Health Department, ICT prepared PC-1 for the international grant by the mutual fund of SAARC countries through SAARC Development Fund (SDF) dated May 26, 2016 and all preparations are complete to build three state of the art Mother Neonate and Child Health Centres to be established in Islamabad through SDF.

These centres will be established at Bhara Kahu, Rawat and Tarnol at a total cost of USD 1.096 million. Besides three centres, small labour rooms and units for safe deliveries are also being established at five existing basic health units through the planned project, said Dr. Durrani.

He said the construction of the first ever centre at Union Council Bhara Kahu is aimed at improving and strengthening health care delivery to the mothers, neonates and children by providing 24/7 services through the construction of the three state of the art MNCH centres and connecting these with labour rooms established at BHUs in the existing infrastructures. “The centre shall have 20 beds for the Gynaecology unit and 20 beds for the Obstetrics unit.”

He said the Islamabad rural population would get the first ever state of the art MNCH Centre at Bhara Kahu that was a long awaited project of the Health Department, Islamabad conceptualized in 2016, when the SAARC Fund for Development from the member countries showed willingness to support the project in Pakistan. The then Chief Commissioner ICT had provided land in the Union Council Bhara Kahu in 2018, for the construction of the MNCH Centre, he said.

The new Mother and Child Health Hospital at Bhara Kahu would serve a population of 100,000 people in the area directly residing around the centre while around 500,000 indirectly through referrals from other healthcare facilities, said Dr. Durrani.

He said the date of completion of the MNCH centre in Bhara Kahu has been set as December 31, 2019.