CHAKWAL: The district administration is considering building a new hospital as the existing one is unable to provide health facilities of district hospital level.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Asif Bilal Lodhi while talking to Dawn said that new DHQ Hospital would be built on the premises of District Health Complex at Talagang Road.

He said the existing DHQ hospital would be made a family or children hospital.

“The existing hospital can neither cater to increasing number of patients nor can provide the health facilities properly,” the DCO said and added that a 200-bed new DHQ Hospital would be built on the premises of District Health Complex.

The existing 150-bed hospital, located in the heart of the city, is facing many problems including insufficient sanitation facilities.

As the hospital is located at the centre of the city, the patients who are in emergency situation could not reach the hospital on time due to traffic jams.

“We badly need a new DHQ Hospital and for this purpose I have sent a proposal to the higher authorities in Lahore. I hope that the work on this important project will start by the end of this year,” DCO Lodhi maintained.

Meanwhile, the DCO has formed a four-member committee to resolve the problems of the existing hospital.

Chairing a meeting on Tuesday he directed the officials concerned to fix the problem of water shortage at the hospital forthwith.

“We are introducing a computerised system to curb the malpractice by some doctors,” DCO Asif Bilal Lodhi said.

The DCO also revealed that the roads of the district would be repaired very soon. “Rs200 million have been released in this regard,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2014