TAXILA: The provincial government has approved the project, design and funding for a 200-bed Mother and Child Healthcare Hospital in Attock, Punjab Public Accounts Committee Chairman Syed Yawar Abbas Bokhari said on Monday.

He said the Punjab government has approved the sanctioning of Rs3 billion and work on the project will begin this fiscal year. The foundation stone will be laid next month, he added.

The hospital will be well-equipped, with state-of-the-art facilities, Mr Bokhari said, adding: “The Mother and Child Hospital will transform the health landscape of the district.”

He said the government has prioritised the health sector and the proof is in 28,000 recruitments in hospitals and basic health units. He said district and tehsil level hospitals will be upgraded to offer the maximum facilities.

He said progress has been made in the health sector across Punjab, and most public sector hospitals are well equipped while 98pc of basic health units have qualified doctors, paramedics and medicines.

All basic health units have been upgraded and are now providing facilities round-the-clock, he said.

He added that three road projects worth Rs108.7 million will also be executed in the current fiscal year as they have been approved by the district development board and funding has been released.

The road from Zamzama Chowk to Sanjwal will be rehabilitated at a cost of Rs32.8m, the road from Sattar Chowk to Islam Line Chowk will be rehabilitated at a cost of Rs23.1m and the road from G.T. Road to Kamra village will be rehabilitated at a cost of Rs52.9m.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2020