LAHORE: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on Thursday approved 10 development schemes with an estimated cost of Rs53.193 billion, including replacement of outlived trunk sewer from Shouq Chowk to Shaukat Khanum Hospital at Main Khayaban-i-Firdousi, Johar Town, at a cost of Rs1.9 billion.

The PDWP’s 49thmeeting of the current fiscal at Planning and Development Board, Punjab, held under the chairmanship of board’s chairman Nabeel Awan, approved five development schemes of 200-bed mother & child hospitals at Multan, Attock, Layyah, Bahawalnagar and Mianwali districts. The cost for the hospitals in respective districts has been estimated as Rs7.415 billion; Rs7.823 billion; Rs7.713 billion; Rs8.58 billion and Rs8.624 billion, respectively.

The working party approved the pilot programme for the Hub & Spoke Model at Zahir Pir, Rahim Yar Khan, at a cost of Rs3.896 billion.

The programme for strategic transformation/revamping of selected blocks of tertiary care facilities (Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi) was approved at an estimated cost of Rs3.608 billion.

The working party approved a scheme of establishing the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology in the building of Rehmatul-lil-Alamin Block at a cost of Rs1.252 billion.

An approval was also granted for the establishment of cath labs at selected DHQs and development of allied facilities in existing buildings at a cost of Rs2.381 billion.

The meeting was attended by P&D Board Secretary Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Economist Masood Anwar, board members and other senior officials.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024