GUJRAT: Up to 60 acres piece of land will be acquired for the establishment of a state of the art child and mother care hospital in Gujrat as the local administration, health department and land revenue department have launched a joint effort to search a suitable area along Gujrat-Sargodha road, somewhere between the cities of Gujrat and Kunjah.

Gujrat DC Dr Khurram Shahzad told Dawn the multi stories building well have modern facilities, including an air ambulance. He said Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had approved the 500-bed hospital in Gujrat on the recommendation of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Pervez Elahi.

He said the hospital would cater to the needs of Gujranwala division as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir areas. Young doctors would have professional training in the hospital equipped with modern health facilities.

Official sources said the hospital would be established at an estimated cost of Rs 5 billion in a rural area located between Gujrat and Kunjah towns of the district which were the main towns of the Punjab and national Assembly constituencies of Pervez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi, respectively.

They said the project’s feasibility and its cost had already been submitted to the specialised healthcare department. An approach road linking the hospital with the main GT road has also been planned for which funds may be sought by the PML-Q leadership from the federal government.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2020