RAWALPINDI, May 29: The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is likely to finance the Punjab health department’s programme for the uplift of the peripheral health care facilities and setting up of a medical university, officials said here on Wednesday.

Punjab Health Minister Prof Mehmood Ahmad Chaudhry would submit the details of the project to the bank on Thursday. He discussed the project with the IDB’s vice-president, who expressed interest and agreed to consider them for financing, the officials said.

Mentioning the current status of the uplift programme for peripheral health care facilities, the officials said the blueprint of the programme had been finalized and would shortly be launched.

Under the programme, 70 Tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospitals, located throughout the province, will be upgraded as part of the health strategy.

The health department plans to improve the infrastructural facilities and provide the previously unavailable medical equipment to make the THQs a nuclear hub, interacting on one hand with mega-hospitals and on the other with grassroot facilities like basic health units, rural health centres and field health workers.

The Punjab government, the officials said, had approved creation of 727 vacancies in Holy Family Hospital. The newly- created vacancies include 78 of doctors and 150 of paramedical staff. Other vacancies are of technicians and supporting staff.