External views of the newly built Emirate Hospital at MH Rawalpindi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Residents of Rawalpindi and its surrounding areas are set to get a fully functional, state-of-the-art health facility soon, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The Emirates Hospital, as it is named, was said to be one of the largest health projects in Pakistan by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under its Pakistan Assistance Programme (PAP) costing $173 million.
With a total capacity of 1,000 beds, the hospital is expected to cater to over 60,000 patients in its different departments including gynaecology and a liver transplant centre.
The first phase of the hospital has already been completed at a cost of $108 million and became operational in the first week of this month.
The entire project is planned to be completed by March 2014.
Sharing the details of the project an official requesting not to be named said that the building is being constructed within the premises of the Military Hospital (MH).
The official said that the existing infrastructure of MH has deteriorated due to lack of resources and overload warranting a major reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Considering that the UAE government has made this grant.
“The hospital was actually a gift to the people of Pakistan from the UAE government aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis facing the country after the consecutive floods [in 2010 and 2011],” he said.
This facility will have a number of centres of excellence where difficult cases could be referred for expert opinions.
It will also have an outdoor patient department (OPD) complex, an indoor patient department, an accident and emergency department, a diagnostics centre and officers and family wards.
It will provide various kinds of diagnostic facilities such as biomedical laboratory, microscope camera system, computed radiography system, fluoroscopy digital system.
The idea behind constructing the complex which will house 17 OPDs of different departments such as gynecology, vaccine, rheumatology, pediatric surgery, rehabilitation, nephrology among others, was to bring all the consultancy services under one roof, said the official.
Previously all the OPDs were scattered over the premises which created problems for patients in terms of accessibility.
“It is hoped that the hospital will prove to be a benchmark in quality health services,” said the official.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2013.
COMMENTS (16)
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Though i appreciate such initiative for good cause. one would be foolish to assume that they care for Pakistan, for them south Asians are third class, cheap labours, and will never equate them on equal terms.....these are perks they throw away for their larger interest such as your cheap labours, your vegetation(since they have none ), and Pakistan armed force human resource (like you always fight for Arabs against Israel and others ), and certainly for the pompous Emir who visit Pakistan for hunting all the rarest deer and species and endanger the last few left out.
I truly hope that soon Pakistanis realize that being Muslim is nothing to do with cultural integrity with Arabs. you are not Arabs,and you can never be Arabs. You belong to this part of the world, which has 5000 year of long history and great civilization ever existed.
Look at it, the government's chief executive making a personal visit on emir hunting camp when he is not even in your capital and not even on a official visit. I wish your PM, just tell him to find some other place for hunting passion. oh well ! His wont, and neither will pakistani ghariat brigades.
@Parvez: That is the Saudis not the people of the UAE.
Thank you Government of the UAE, you care more for Pakistan than our own Government.
Theres no such thing as a gift, its all give and take behind the curtains
.....and in return how many millitant madrassas have we agreed to let them open ?
This is not a gift for the common man but a gift for the army personnel, particularly the army doctors since the civilians will be treated as private patients (Civilian Non-Entitled) and will be ripped off by these soldiers...Men at their best-Pak army..
@man of khaki: Do you have the slightest idea what the state of affairs in is AMC?? Thousands (yes, thousands) of resign applications from Army doctors are awaiting reply from MS branch GHQ. And regarding the standard of medical care provided with all the resources available with the army, it is the rank on shoulders that is treated and not the patient. Scores of patients remain admitted in these army hospitals for long periods waiting to be diagnosed.
This is not a gift for the common man but a gift for the army personnel, particularly the army doctors since the civilians will be treated as private patients (Civilian Non-Entitled) and will be ripped off by these soldiers...Men at their best-Pak army...
It could be much better if this hospital was built in some rural area of balochistan
@Faisal: Wrong. It is a hospital for the public.
If all the money is diverted to such projects instead of madrissahs, we the people of Pakistan would really appreciate the UAE.
But sad part is that we have to depend every thing on others mercy.
Thank you for caring for Pakistan.