ISLAMABAD: While most of the public sector departments will remain closed during public holidays, announced in connection with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Federal Secretary Health Nadeem Mehbub has directed five public sector hospitals of Islamabad to keepopen.

The Cabinet Division has announced three holidays on Oct 14, 15 and 16 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to facilitate smooth conduct of the 23rdSCO summit.

Although emergencies of the hospitals remain open round the clock, Outpatient Departments (OPDs) are kept closed on public holidays. However, Nadeem Mehbub has directed the hospitals to keep OPDs open due to which all other relevant departments, such as laboratory, radiology, etc., will remain open.

The notification, issued by the health ministry, stated that all federal government hospitals and public health facilities shall remain open from Oct 14 to 16.

The public sector facilities include Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic Hospital, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), Federal General Hospital and other health facilities. Pims spokesperson Dr Mubashir Daha, while talking to Dawn, said that during holidays majority of patients do not come to the hospitals emergency, fearing crowd of patients.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2024