The long-delayed multi-billion rupee project of the Children's Hospital in Rawalpindi will become fully functional by June 30, 2027, offering state-of-the-art healthcare services to children. This was announced by Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Engineer Amir Khattak during a media briefing on Tuesday after chairing a meeting on the project's progress.
Project Background and Upgrades
The healthcare project was initially launched by the federal government in 2005 with a cost of Rs2.5 billion. It is now expected to be completed in 2027 at a total estimated cost of Rs18 billion. The originally planned 200-bed hospital has been upgraded to a 400-bed facility. Construction work resumed on April 29, 2026, with the completion deadline set for June 30, 2027. To ensure rapid completion, parallel work is underway at two different sites. The financial progress for the hospital, which consists of a basement, ground floor, and four stories, is 100% complete.
Commissioner's Assurance
The commissioner stated that practical steps are being taken to deliver the best health facilities to the public. To ensure uninterrupted provision of quality medical services, the Children's Hospital will be completed and made fully functional by the next financial year. He emphasized that necessary procedures must be finalized to guarantee timely provision of funds at the relevant forum.
Facilities and Services
The specialized children's hospital, equipped with modern medical machinery, will include emergency, outpatient (OPD), and inpatient (IPD) facilities, alongside neonatal intensive care (NICU) and pediatric intensive care (PICU) units. Furthermore, it will serve as an advanced center for diagnostics and treatment, staffed by expert pediatricians and trained personnel. This will help reduce neonatal and child mortality rates and promote modern medical research and training.
Meeting Details
The commissioner expressed these views while chairing a follow-up meeting regarding the recent visit of Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique to the Children's Hospital Rawalpindi. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Hasan Waqar Cheema, Additional Commissioner Coordination Zenia Humayun, SE Buildings Imran, and other relevant officials.
Once functional, the hospital is expected to share the burden of patients currently faced by the three major public hospitals – Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital.
