Land for children’s hospital in Peshawar acquired

Hospital will help reduce child mortality rate in K-P.

PESHAWAR: The government has acquired 20 kanals for the construction of a children’s hospital in the city, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Minister Syed Zahir Shah said on Sunday.

The hospital will be constructed adjacent to Khyber Institute of Child Health, for which Rs200 million have been allocated, he said while speaking at the inauguration of an institute in Hayatabad.

“Due to the absence of such a hospital in our province, the mortality rate of newborn children is much higher and there was no proper facility to treat thalassaemia,” he said, while thanking the USA and USAID for providing the funds to make the project possible.

Professor Gohar Rehman said that USAID has provided $1 million for the Khyber Institute of Child Health project, where doctors, nurses and paramedical staff are provided with modern medical training.

For the first time in the province, a state-of-the-art laboratory has been setup in this institution where all medical tests can be conducted.

Moreover, he said the institution would establish newborn units at Dera Ismail Khan, Khwaza Khela, Swat and Batkhela.

A modern digital library has also been setup in the institution for research into child diseases. The health department is also mulling over starting an FM radio channel to sensitise the public on blood deficiency and thalassaemia among children and publicise research work of the institution. Dr Nasir Afridi said USAID would continue its efforts and assistance to decrease infant mortality in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2011.