THQ hospitals in new Pindi districts upgraded
Women wait with their children at the paediatric’s ward of the Qatar Hospital. Photo: Express
The Punjab government has upgraded the tehsil headquarters hospitals — in the two newly formed districts of Murree and Talagang — to district headquarters hospitals
The Punjab government has initially approved a grant of Rs500 million each for the two upgraded hospitals.
Health officials said that a new outpatient department (OPD) along with emergency will be established at the Murree DHQ hospital. Medicine will be available free of cost for patients visiting the emergency department.
District health officers and medical superintendents will be appointed in both DHQ hospitals. District health and education authorities will also be set up in both districts by the end of this month.
Keeping in view Murree’s touristic importance and for the safety of tourists, a fully-fledged unit of Rescue 1122 will also be established in there. The strength of police and Dolphin squad personnel will also be increased in Murree.
To keep a check on haphazard construction in the hill resort, a building development authority will also be established to enforce building bylaws and regularise multi-storey buildings.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and lawmaker from Murree Sadaqat Ali Abbasi told The Express Tribune that special attention was being paid to improving facilities at the Murree DHQ hospital.
He said that previously the hospital was given the status of a general hospital, but now it has been given the status of a DHQ hospital.
He said that names have been finalised to make appointments against vacant positions of heads in 42 departments.
He said that provincial secretaries of respective ministries will make appointments against these vacant positions on merit. The PTI leader said that Murree will also retain the status of tehsil despite being upgraded to the status of a district.
Kotli Satian will be the second tehsil of Murree and its old structure will remain intact, he said.
Abbasi also said that one more police station will be set up in Kotli Satian and the tehsil headquarters hospital will be upgraded.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2022.