RAWALPINDI, Jan 6: The Punjab government has agreed to fund upgradation of a burn unit in the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) to a fully-equipped 30-bed burn centre, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

The commitment came from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif during a meeting held in Lahore.

The meeting was attended among others by MNAs Hanif Abbasi and Pervez Khan, MPAs Shahryar Riaz and Ziaullah Shah, Chief Minister’s Monitoring and Development Cell Chairman Sardar Naseem, Rawalpindi Medical College Overseas Foundation Chairman Dr Babar Rao and Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Prof Musaddaq Khan.

“Currently there is no burn centre in the public-sector in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, hence the Rawalian burn unit at the Holy Family Hospital is being upgraded into a complete burn centre and the Punjab government will bear all expenditure in this regard,” the statement quoted Mr Sharif as saying.

The chief minister said the Rawalpindi Medical College Overseas Foundation would be responsible for operating the burn centre as well as for arranging highly-qualified doctors and paramedical staff for it.

According to him, due to unavailability of burn centres in the province, the death rate of burn victims is very high. “Therefore, the Punjab government is paying special attention to construction of burn units.”

During the meeting, Mr Sharif again issued instructions for allotment of land for the campus of Rawalpindi Medical College as well as establishment of a children’s hospital in Rawalpindi.

He said 500 acres was allotted for the campus during his last tenure, but the orders were not implemented.

The chief minister said the government was taking solid measures for provision of modern health facilities to the people, adding that free-of-cost dialysis facilities had been made available in all teaching and district headquarters hospitals in the province.

Mr Sharif announced that lever transplant centres would also be established, while CT Scan and MRI machines were already being provided in all hospital under a phased programme.

He stressed quality construction work and transparent utilisation of funds.

Earlier, Rawalpindi Medical College Overseas Foundation Chairman Dr Babar Rao informed the meeting that mortality rate among burn patients in Pakistan was much higher than other countries.

Dr Rao said upgradation of the Rawalian burn unit in Holy Family Hospital into a fully-fledged centre would result in availability of modern medical facilities to the burn patients.