“22-Year-Delayed Mother and Child Hospital Project in Rawalpindi Transferred to Punjab, Rebranded as Children’s Hospital”

Rawalpindi: The long-delayed Mother and Child Hospital project in Rawalpindi, pending completion for over 22 years, has been officially handed over from the federal government to the Punjab government. The provincial authorities have now decided to convert it into a Children’s Hospital instead.
The project has been included in Punjab’s Annual Development Programme. Dr. Hina Sattar has been appointed as the Project Director for preparing the new PC-1, while Dr. Masood Sadiq, Vice Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences Lahore, has been designated as the focal person. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has issued the official notification.
The provincial government aims to operationalize the 200-bed Children’s Hospital in the shortest possible time. Currently, Rawalpindi lacks a single dedicated children’s hospital.
Originally approved in 2002 by then-Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Mother and Child Hospital project began after the demolition of municipal corporation officer residences. The foundation stone was laid by former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and later, Prime Minister Imran Khan also inaugurated the site.
Former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar visited the hospital site on July 1, 2018—just 23 days before the general elections—alongside Sheikh Rashid. He had announced plans to complete the project under the Supreme Court’s special cell.
Due to decades of delays, the cost of the project ballooned from the original PKR 1.5 billion to over PKR 9 billion. While the two-story building’s civil work is complete, interior finishing, equipment installation, and other critical work remain incomplete. The structure has deteriorated over time, with signs of wear and damage visible on the outer gate and walls.
The revamped project aims to address a critical healthcare gap in the region by finally providing specialized medical services for children in Rawalpindi.