“This place will provide free and timely maternity care and delivery services to pregnant women in the rural areas,” said Federal minister for population welfare Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. The hospital is a pilot project and will be part of a larger scheme to launch similar centers in districts throughout the province.
Awan inaugurated the project on Monday and said “Now pregnant women will get timely and free-of-cost maternity care as well as safe delivery services at the local level.” The minister said that women used to have to go to Sialkot for this purpose, adding that the hospital will also act as a safe house for abused women, as guards have been deployed at the gates. “The staff has been ordered to give shelter to any woman asking for it,” she said.
Free family planning counseling and services will also be available at the hospital. A well-equipped ambulance has also been provided for the hospital. Hospital staff said that the ambulance would take calls and pick up women from their homes when they were in labour from all villages between Bajwat and Sialkot city. Several qualified gynecologists have been hired at the hospital.
Project director Dr Ather Qayyum said that the project was the first of its kind. “All women, regardless of their income, deserve the best maternity care and we are trying to work towards providing this,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2010.
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