District health system to be improved: Health Minister
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Health Ejaz Rahim on Sunday said the government was making a plan to escalate the standard of district health system by improving existing facilities at district and tehsil level.
This will help controlling high maternal and infant mortality rate by improving access and equity for those living in far-flung areas of the country, the minister said while talking to APP.
He said attention was being given to ensure benefits of modern technologies in the tertiary hospitals. He said innovative public-private partnership was essential for better functioning of primary health care institutions.
The minister said a billion rupee worth vitamins were being provided every year to rural women and children under Lady Health Workers (LHWs) programme.
He said a comprehensive national strategy encompassing prevention, rehabilitation and treatment has been developed regarding HIV/AIDS, to successfully check the disease from becoming generalized epidemic.
Similarly, the minister added free medicines are being provided to every TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS patient.
He said all ongoing health projects will be completed in time to provide maximum benefits to the people of the country.
He said construction work of new state-of-the-art 400-bed Federal Women Hospital and Chest Diseases Center, Rawalpindi will be started soon with estimated cost of Rs. 1325.044 million.
He said the hospital will be constructed in the premises of the old TB Center covering an area of 105 kanals.
The project cost includes construction of main hospital building, chest diseases center, staff apartments, doctors' and nurses' hostels, mosque and other ancillary buildings, he added.
He said the project having four operating rooms will be completed within three years as the ministry has fixed the deadline of July 2009 for its completion.
He said improvements have been made in Radiology, Physiotherapy, Paediatrics and Gynae departments in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to facilitate the patients.