Overburdened facility: Expansion of Polyclinic on the cards

A separate wing may be built.

ISLAMABAD:

Owing to the rush of patients at Polyclinic Hospital, the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD) is considering two proposals for expansion. Newly-appointed CAD Secretary Shafqat Hussain Naghmi told The Express Tribune that it was imperative to construct new building or expand the Polyclinic Hospital in some other way.

“Because of the rapidly growing population it is becoming difficult to facilitate everybody since patients from Rawalpindi also prefer to come to the capital,” Naghmi remarked. There are certain options, he said, which are under consideration. “For instance, there is a proposal to buy Argentina Park adjacent to the hospital which the Capital Development Authority is ready to sell for Rs50 million.” The other option is the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE), spread over 26 acres in Sector H-8 it is an ideal place to accomodate a section of the hospital, he added.

“NISTE comes under CAD so there will be no issue in taking over some area for the hospital’s expansion,” he said. “This will be an ideal place to facilitate patients from Rawalpindi and from sectors I-8, I-9 and I-10 and lessen the burden on Polyclinic Hospital.” But we are looking into all the options and in this week we will have a meeting with Polyclinic Hospital’s doctors to discuss the most suitable option, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2013.