RAWALPINDI, June 10: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has prepared a comprehensive plan to refurbish the Cantonment General Hospital (CGH), it is learnt.

The plan will be executed in two phases: short-term measures will be taken to restore the 120 beds of the hospital with all necessary facilities on an emergency basis, while under the long- term measure, the hospital will be made a 300-bed facility.

The plan also includes establishment of psychiatric and orthopaedic wards, neurosurgery department, neonatal surgical unit, burns unit, nursing school and improvement of physiotherapy department and rehabilitation centre.

Due to resource constraints, the facilities will be restored in phases. At present, the following wards are functioning in the hospital: male and female medical and surgical wards, children’s ward, gynae department, maternity section and ENT/eye ward.

A number of dispensaries in different areas and offices are also operating under the hospital, including the dispensaries at Chur Harpal, Tench Bata, Dheri Hassanabad, Lalkurti, Tipu Road and at the ministry of defence.

The gas supply connection to the hospital, which was snapped due to non-payment of bills, has not yet been restored.

The cantonment executive officer, Iftikhar Mir, said steps had been taken to restore the basic facilities of the hospital. He said special funds would be reserved for the rehabilitation of the hospital in the next budget.