ICT To Have 14 New Primary Healthcare Centres

Islamabad: A comprehensive plan has been devised to establish 14 new primary healthcare centres known as community health centres (CHCs) and basic health units (BHUs) in the federal capital territory (ICT).

The purpose of establishing new primary healthcare facilities in Islamabad is to cater to the needs of the growing population.

Health Department Islamabad Project Director Sardar Shabbir Ahmed said, “11 new CHCs and three BHUs, with a combined indoor-bed capacity of 515, are in the final phase of construction.”

The district health department officer said the under-construction healthcare facilities will be functional during the next year.

Sharing details on the under-construction health schemes, Ahmed said the new initiatives having indoor facilities are as follow:

Meanwhile, four BHUs at Tarno, Kirpa, Shah Allah Ditta and Rawat are being upgraded to CHCs with a 25-bed capacity each; and three new BHUs with outpatient department (OPD) facility are also being constructed at Jhangi Syedan, Sara-e-Kharbooza and Golra Sharif.

The project director said the existing basic healthcare unit at Sohan has been reconstructed with added facilities for mother and child, adding that the department has also established eight ‘Well Baby Clinics’ at its existing BHUs to facilitate the mother and child.

Sardar Shabbir further said that the department has also moved a summary for the creation of 359 additional posts for various cadres of healthcare professionals.

“The summary is in the last stages of approval. With these professionals on board, the department will be able to operate all of these facilities round the clock,” he remarked.

Answering a question, Ahmed stated that currently the overall all-bed capacity of the existing three Rural Health Centers (RHCs) is only 60.With the establishment of new health facilities, the indoor-bed capacity would reach 575 and patients would be able to get treatment round-the-clock.