RAWALPINDI: The Holy Family Hospital (HFH) will remain closed for three months for renovation. However, the Punjab caretaker government will decide in a day or two if the hospital will be kept closed partially or completely during execution of the Rs2 billion project.

Talking to Dawn, Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Umer said the renovation work on the new complex of the HFH will be started soon.

He said it was decided in principle at a meeting on Saturday that the hospital will be closed for three months. But it is not yet decided whether the hospital will be closed completely or partially.

He said that there was a suggestion that patients will be shifted to the newly-renovated old block of the hospital, but the construction work will disrupt the patients.

Arrangements made to shift different departments to other hospitals,says Prof Umer

“We have made alternative arrangements to shift different departments of the hospital to the Red Crescent Hospital on Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on Murree Road, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the District Headquarters Hospital at Raja Bazaar.”

He said during the Covid-19 pandemic, BBH was closed and its departments were shifted to other teaching hospitals and we wanted to follow the same pattern. He said the gynae or emergency departments may be shifted to adjacent Red Crescent Hospital having 100 beds.

“Basically, we wanted to repair the roofs, walls, water supply lines and sewerage system of the new block. Medical services will not be affected when the department will be moved to other teaching hospitals for three months.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha along with Vice Chancellor Prof Umer presided over a meeting regarding making improvement to healthcare facilities in the hospitals.

Director Development and Finance Nazia Parveen Sudhan, HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Butt, BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Tahir Rizvi, DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Farzana, RIUT Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Janjua and officials of health, development, finance and building departments participated in the meeting.

The development work and health facilities at the HFH were also discussed in the meeting. It was decided that during the renovation patients would be transferred to other hospitals.

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said health facilities were being improved in hospitals according to the instructions of teh caretaker chief minister.

Under the load sharing formula, during the development work at the HFH, plans will be made to transfer patients to other hospitals. The development work will be completed in three months.

He said the supply of medicines will be ensured in all hospitals. Any repair or renovation work in other hospitals should be completed immediately.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2023