The Mother and Child Healthcare Hospital in Rawalpindi, which has remained under construction for 21 years, is unlikely to be completed during the current fiscal year despite being converted into a Children's Hospital project with a 2026 deadline. The Punjab government has allocated only Rs494.4 million in the current budget and shifted the remaining funds to the next fiscal year, casting doubt on the project's completion once again.
Project Background and Delays
The foundation stone of the 200-bed Mother and Child Hospital was laid by then prime minister Shaukat Aziz on April 8, 2005, on 105 kanals of land adjacent to the TB Hospital on Asghar Mall Road. Over the years, the project faced numerous delays. Before the July 18, 2018 elections, then chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar visited the site on July 1, 2018, and former prime minister Imran Khan also inspected it in May 2019. Despite these high-profile visits, the project could not be completed, and the unfinished structures suffered extensive weather-related damage.
Conversion to Children's Hospital and Budget Allocation
The current Punjab government transferred the project from the federal government and announced the establishment of a 400-bed Children's Hospital, pledging its completion by December 2026. However, in the Punjab budget for FY27, against the total project cost of Rs9.26 billion, expenditures up to June 2026 were estimated at Rs327.99 million. The government allocated only Rs494.4 million for the current fiscal year, leaving the remaining funds for the next fiscal year. This allocation raises questions about whether the project can meet its 2026 deadline.
Impact and Future Outlook
The repeated delays have left the people of Rawalpindi without a dedicated children's hospital for over two decades. The weather-damaged structures require significant repairs, adding to the cost and timeline. With only a fraction of the total budget allocated, the completion by 2026 seems unlikely. The project's fate remains uncertain as the government shifts financial responsibility to future budgets.
