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KARACHI, Feb 4: The North Karachi Children Hospital would be upgraded as Karachi Institute of Child Health under the City Government. According to a statement, this was decided at a high level meeting, presided over by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, at Governor’s House here on Saturday.
It said that the performance of the hospital was reviewed at the meeting and it was decided to upgrade it on the pattern of the National Institute of Child Health.
Steps would be taken for provision of more facilities at the hospital. It was pointed out that in spite of building and equipment, the North Karachi Children Hospital was inactive.
Dr Ibad had visited the hospital in 2003 and had issued directives that it be activated in a month’s time. Initially, its OPD was started in the morning which is now being provided in the evening as well.
The hospital is under the CDGK, but the Sindh health department provided doctors and other facilities.
In Saturday’s meeting, steps were reviewed for fully activating the hospital under the city government.
The governor directed that the CDGK should prepare a complete plan for North Karachi Children Hospital for its upgradation. He said that there should also be a line of action spanning over six months’ time with a timeframe.
He also directed the provision of ambulance and other required facilities. The governor directed that doctors and paramedics be also made available in the required number.
He also called for introducing public transport for the hospital, and also ordered overhaul of the sewerage system construction of the road. He also appreciated the town administration for removal of encroachments.
TEXTILE CITY: Ishratul Ibad directed the authorities concerned to expedite progress of work for establishment of Pakistan Textile City adjacent to Port Qasim on priority basis.
He pointed out that the government’s objective was not just to enhance investment and establish industries but the main factor of this exercise was to provide facilities and increased number of employment opportunities to people. As many as 80,000 people would get employment after completion of this project, he added.
The governor directed the city government, Sindh Board of Revenue and Port Qasim besides Textile City Board to work under a coordinated strategy. He also directed the officials concerned to provide 300 acres land next to the Textile City for establishment of a Garment City besides provision of 500 acres land nearby for residence of employees.
“The establishment of Garment City would provide additional jobs to the people while producing high output due to its location adjacent to the Textile City,” he pointed out.
Reviewing the bottlenecks in the way of project, he assured that the project would be established on an area of 1,250 acres. He said initially the water needs of the project be met through supply from K-III water supply project and asked the authorities of Textile City to work for establishment of water desalination and recycling plants to meet its future water needs.
He directed to provide housing facilities to the employees with the cooperation of Workers Welfare Board after allocation of land for this purpose.
Federal Textile Secretary Masood Alam Rizvi and Pakistan Textile City Limited Chairman Deewan Yousuf Farooqui briefed the meeting about details of the project.
According to them, the initial equity of the project is Rs1.1 billion in which federal government shares Rs500 million, Sindh government and Port Qasim Authority Rs100 million each, financial institutions Rs300 million and public sector companies share Rs100 million.
The Textile City will include industrial area on 807 acres, amenities on 47 acres, utilities on 70 acres, roads on 326 acres besides 279 plots of different sizes.
Among others, Federal Textile Minister Mushtaq Cheema, PQA Chairman Vice-Admiral Muhammad Asad Qureshi, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Pakistan Textile City Limited Directors S.M. Muneer, Abdur Razzaq, Zafar Iqbal and Chief Executive Zaheer Hussain attended the meeting.—APP
