RAWALPINDI: Three government-run hospitals on Monday received 20 ventilators, a dialysis machine and a CT scan machine worth Rs250 million.

On behalf of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former MNA Hanif Abbasi handed over the equipment to Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal and Allied Hospitals Chief Executive Dr Mohammad Umar and Holy Family Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mohammad Arshad.

Ventilators will be installed in all three hospitals while the CT scan and dialysis machines are for Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Chairman Board of Directors Rawalpindi Medical College and Allied Hospitals Dr Mohammad Aslam and other administrative authorities of the Holy Family Hospital were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Hanif Abbasi said the government was endeavouring to provide maximum medical facilities to the citizens.

Presently free medicines worth Rs520 million are being provided to patients in the emergency of the hospitals.

Besides, three-time free meal is being provided to inpatient and his or her attendant.

He said the building of emergency department of BBH was being reconstructed, while Rs100 million funds had been spent to update and enhance treatment and diagnostic facilities there.

He said 20,000 dengue patients were provided free treatment along with free medical test facilities.

Mr Abbasi said liver cancer ward had also been established in Holy Family Hospital, adding that separate funds were being provided for medical tests of patients in all main hospitals.

The PML-N leader said during the last six years, medical facilities in hospitals had been doubled and after the construction of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, work on Institute of Urology is in progress.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2014