LAHORE: The Punjab government and the ChildLife Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s largest emergency room for children at the Children’s Hospital, Multan.

According to the foundation, this 100-bed state-of-the-art facility spanning 20,000 square feet is scheduled to become operational by the end of this year. It will serve an estimated 150,000 children annually in the most vulnerable and underprivileged area of south Punjab, it adds “Pakistan currently witnesses a high child mortality rate that can be reduced by 50 percent by improving emergency services,” says the ChildLife Foundation spokesman.

He says the foundation is committed to child health and is actively engaged in enhancing children’s emergency facilities throughout the province.

Multan, the largest city in south Punjab, will benefit from the new emergency room, offering free-of-charge 24/7 access to an estimated 150,000 children annually, he adds.

“The establishment of the largest Children’s Emergency Room in Multan marks a significant milestone in ChildLife Foundation mission to safeguard the future of Pakistan’s children by ensuring accessible and high-quality healthcare services,” he adds.

He says the foundation’s network of children’s emergency rooms and teleme-dicine satellite centres has been extended to over 200 government hospitals, covering all tehsils of Sindh, all districts of Balochistan, Punjab and Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2023