Holy Family set to reopen after revamp

Holy Family Hospital, the largest medical facility in Rawalpindi, is nearing the completion of a major revamping and upgrading project that began with the complete closure of the health facility on October 22, 2023.

The Rs3.6 billion project has reached its final stages, with 95% of the work now complete, sources told The Express Tribune. Staff members, including doctors, nurses, and technical personnel who had been reassigned to other city hospitals, have returned to the Holy Family Hospital, they said. A formal inauguration by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is anticipated soon, they explained.

Holy Family Hospital, initially equipped with 1,052 beds and expandable to 1,300-1,400, had suffered severe deterioration before the upgrade. Issues included a dilapidated roof and floors, a failing sewage system, and unreliable electricity. Leaking ceilings, unusable restrooms, and damage to critical areas like operating theatres, wards, and ICUs had severely compromised the hospital's functionality and cleanliness.

The project was approved by Punjab's caretaker Chief Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, following a detailed presentation by Professor Muhammad Umar, Vice-Chancellor of Rawalpindi Medical University. After the hospital's closure on October 22, 2023, patients were relocated to four other city hospitals, and Holy Family's staff was reassigned accordingly.

Currently, Holy Family Hospital is 95% operational, with ongoing testing of the oxygen system in the ICU and dengue wards.

The hospital's old building was reactivated on February 2 of this year, the OPD opened on July 8, and emergency services resumed on July 28. The remaining wards and operation theatres are also now functional.

Medical Superintendent Dr Ejaz Butt reported that the OPD, emergency wards, operating theatres, blood bank, laboratories, paediatrics, gynaecology, and other departments are fully operational.