Revamp work disrupts hospital services

Project aims at renovating and revamping various medical departments

JARANWALA:

As the Faisalabad Medical University management has begun revamping the infrastructure of the Allied and district headquarters hospitals at an estimated cost of about Rs2 billion, the outpatient department (OPD) and several other medical departments have been shut for the work, affecting thousands of patients.

The project is aimed at renovating and revamping the gynaecology, paediatric, orthopaedic, medical, surgical, ENT, urology, surgical emergency, medical emergency, radiology, pathology, paediatric surgery, ,isolation, private ward, dengue ward, coronary care unit, administration block, operation theatre complex,corridors, stair halls and ramps. According to sources, the administration had upgraded the ortho and neurosurgery theatres at a cost of Rs10 million and the divisional commissioner had inaugurated the facilities in June.

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Now, the same facilities are being renovated anew as part of revamping the Allied and DHQ hospital buildings.

FMU Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Chaudhry said in reply to a question that the university administration had been unaware of the revamping project's approval at the time operation theatres had been upgraded.

He said the renovation work was speedily under way on the directives of the provincial government.

However, a patient visiting the hospital, Muhammad Umar, complained that thousands of patients had been deprived of free diagnostic tests by shutting the radiology department for the infrastructure project.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2023.