ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Not a single new hospital could be established in the Federal Capital wherein according to the recently held census, the population has exceeded 2 million.
In last 19 years since the previous population census took place in 1998, Islamabad’s population has increased by 800,000 but the number of already existing state-run hospitals, dispensaries and primary health centres remains the same, says a report of Daily Express.
Therefore, the Capital City’s major hospitals Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital have to bear the burden of not only rapidly growing population of Islamabad but patients from nearby regions including Rawalpindi, Murree, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FAT) also mostly rely on these hospitals for treatment.
The federal government led by the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had recommended to establish four new hospitals consisting of 500 beds in different Sectors of Islamabad by 2018 end; however, its implementation yet failed to go underway.
Likewise as per the announcement made by the former prime minister last year to establish 46 hospitals across the Country under PM’s Health Infrastructure Program, it had been planned to build three hospitals in the Federal Capital. Though three lands of 150 canal, 200 canal and 200 canal respectively had also been allocated for these hospitals but again no progress was witnessed in its implementation either.
