ISLAMABAD: The government has planned to upgrade all the basic healthcare units in the capital’s rural areas to reduce the burden on major hospitals.

According to an official from the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), a proposal was put forward on directions from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to upgrade government health facilities.

He said the government is also working on extending Polyclinic Hospital, and 2.54 acres of land near the hospital has been allocated for this. He said a feasibility study will be started soon, and construction of the new building will start accordingly.

The CADD official said the extension will increase the hospital’s capacity from 545 to 1,100.

He added that the government has decided to improve services at the capital’s major hospitals — Polyclinic and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), since they treat residents of the twin cities, northern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.

He said 3.03m were treated there in 2015-16. There were 1.012m outpatients in the morning, 128,000 outpatients in the evening, 257,000 who received emergency services, 432,000 treated at dispensaries and centres outpatient departments, 25,735 who received vaccination and immunisation services.

The official said 139,000 received radiology services, 880,000 received pathology services, 26,503 received indoor services and 5,343 surgeries were performed.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017