Work on project has been pending since 1997. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ICT Administration Development and Finance Director Capt (retd) Mustaq Ahmed said the 200-bed Islamabad General Hospital (IGH) in Tarlai will be established to provide healthcare services to over 800,000 residents of the capital’s suburbs. The project was conceived in 1997, but has been pending since then as no funds could be allocated for the initiative.
SFD is a Saudi Arabian government agency which provides grants and soft loans for development projects to developing countries.
Ahmed said that the assurance came during a meeting at ICT Complex on Wednesday between SFD Chief Engineer Abdullah M Al-Shoaibi and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider. The meeting was also attended by Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil and interior ministry officials.
During the meeting, Haider briefed Sohaibi about the project’s cost and design. “It is a positive step...the SDF has taken,” Ahmed said adding that a memorandum of understanding will be signed in the next meeting, after which construction work can kick off.
He said the hospital will also have modern labs and an operation theatre, besides a residential colony for hospital staff. He said that the project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 200 beds will be made functional, while the second phase will see the number of beds increased to 500.
Currently, patients from rural areas have to visit Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Polyclinic or the Capital Development Authority Hospital to get treatment. All three are in Urban Islamabad.
According to the Pims and Polyclinic administrations, 80 to 85 per cent of patients visiting the hospitals every day were from rural areas.
“Rural residents don’t have a hospital despite the fact the area was declared a district in 1981,” said another official, while asking not to be named.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2015.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
When can we get rid of the word Grant leveled with Pakistan? Perhaps not in our life; Islamabad is the richest city of Pakistan, it should give grants and not take it.
Really, shameful a grant to kick-start a project. If the CDA is not having money; why should it build projects on Grants?
Inst' a fact! Once a beggar always a beggar.
A Peshawary.