ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CWDP) has approved three health projects worth Rs 11.25 billion – Islamabad Cancer Hospital, National Police Hospital and up-gradation of Radiology Department at Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute.
An official said that projects were approved last week with the first one Islamabad Cancer Hospital at Rs 3.40 billion cost as the cases of cancer disease have increased rapidly. This hospital will be established inside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Currently, PIMS oncology department is the only government-owned cancer treatment facility in the federal capital.
The 200-bed cancer hospital project was approved under the Vision of 2025 during 2013-18 of Pakistan Muslim League (N) tenure but it was shelved by the previous government, according to Ministry of Planning and Development.
CDWP approves 11 projects worth Rs63.82bn
The Ministry added that the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that more than 178,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year in Pakistan. Less than 250 individuals have qualified in the country as the trained medical or radiation oncologists.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination currently, PAEC-NORI Hospital (semi-private), CMH, Rawalpindi, and Shifa International hospital and hospitals running under the supervision of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission are providing cancer treatment to patients of Islamabad and adjoining areas. However, poor people cannot afford the expensive treatment from the private sector. The country has 27 cancer treatment centres. Experts say they are insufficient given the high number of cancer patients.
The 200-bed hospital is envisages to includes 75 beds for adult oncology, 25 beds for Paeds, 25 beds for women oncology, 25 beds for ICU and 30 beds for private, as well as, 20 beds for emergency.
The meeting also approved the establishment of National Police Hospital at the cost of Rs 6.48 billion for ICT police as there is no dedicated hospital for police personnel in ICT. They are getting treatment from PIMS or Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital which is already overburdened as these are also catering to AJK, GB, KP and FATA. The established of hospital for Police was promised by Ahsan Iqbal, the then interior minister in 2018 and ministry of interior is the sponsoring agency of the project. The establishment of a 100-bed hospital will provide healthcare facilities to 12,000 personnel of the Islamabad Police and the general population of ICT.
Another project for up-gradation of Radiology Department at Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore was approved at the cost of Rs 1.37 billion. The project envisages up-gradation of the Radiology department of Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore through procurement of new equipment and replacement of old/ obsolete radiology equipment. A total of 18 types of different equipment shall be procured including 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, 128 slice CT scanner, Mobile X-rays, etc.
At present over 1, 20,000 to 1,30,000 patients are provided services per year by the Radiology Department and the work-load of the department was increasing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023