Medical facilities: Asia’s biggest children’s hospital opens in Faisalabad

Treatment in 20 specialities will be offered at the hospital

FAISALABAD:

The outdoor patients department of 1,000-bed Children’s Hospital opened on Thursday ahead of Independence Day without a formal inauguration.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Project Coordinator Hafiz Mukhtar Randhawa said the emergency department, too, would become operational in a few days. He said it would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

He said the hospital had been built at Jhang Road at a cost of Rs5 billion. He said Rs1 billion had been spent during the first phase of the project.

Randhawa said DCO Noorul Amin Mengal had been appointed project director 10 month ago. “The DCO took practical steps to ensure the OPD opened by August 14,” he said.

Randawa said the hospital had been built over 280 kanals. He said children under 14 years would be treated there. He said doctors in 20 specialties including gastro-ontology, neonatology, hepatalogy, dermatology, pulmonology, ENT, ophthalmology, orthopedics, general surgery, general medicine and developmental diseases would be available at the hospital.  He said treatment at the hospital would be free. Randhawa said 40 children had been examined by doctors on the first day.

Randhawa said a team of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had visited the hospital and appreciated the quality of work completed in a short period of time and had offered their cooperation for providing machinery for the diagnostics block to be built in the second phase.  Talking to The Express Tribune, Medical Superintendent Khalid Fakhar said the hospital was the biggest medical facility for children in Asia. “As the building nears completion, all necessary medicines will be provided and equipment will be installed. He said operation theatres would become operational in a few days. “This is a gift from the chief minister for the people of Faisalabad,” he said. “The government took steps to ensure that the construction targets were met.”

He said children from far-flung villages would be urged to get treated there.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2015.