LAHORE: The Punjab government and ChildLife Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish ChildLife's largest Children’s Emergency Room at the Children’s Hospital, Multan.

Under the MoU, the emergency of the Children's Hospital Multan will be improved through the state-of-the-art facility, scheduled to be operational by the end of this year spans 20,000 square feet.

This 100-bed facility is poised to serve the most vulnerable and underprivileged children of South Punjab. The agreement was signed by Secretary Health Ali Jan and the officials of the Child Life Foundation.

Health professionals said that Pakistan currently witnesses a high child mortality rate that can be reduced by 50% with improvement in emergency services. ChildLife Foundation is deeply committed to child health and is actively engaged in enhancing children's emergency facilities throughout the province.

Multan, the largest city in South Punjab, will benefit from ChildLife's new Emergency Room, offering free-of-charge, 24/7 access to an estimated 150,000 children annually, an official of the foundation, said, adding: “The establishment of the largest Children’s Emergency Room in Multan marks a significant milestone in ChildLife's mission to safeguard the future of Pakistan's children by ensuring accessible and high-quality healthcare services.

Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has already stated that steps are being taken for the improvement of hospitals. Nishtar Hospital-II will also be completed this year and emergency will be made functional in three months in the child care.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023