RAWALPINDI (Lord Media): The long-delayed Mother and Child Hospital in Rawalpindi, under construction for 21 years, is now set to be converted into a Children’s Hospital. The project’s cost has escalated from 1.5 billion rupees to over 9 billion rupees.
The foundation stone for the 200-bed hospital was laid by former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on April 8, 2005, with an initial budget of 1.5 billion rupees. However, the cost has now reached 9.26 billion rupees.
The Mother and Child Hospital project was stalled due to delays in fund release since 2005. Federal Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed initiated the project but failed to complete it in six and a half years.
For the 400-bed Children’s Hospital, 494.4 million rupees have been allocated in the Punjab budget for the fiscal year 2026/27. However, completion within the current fiscal year remains unlikely.
The hospital’s 105-kanal land was provided by demolishing municipal corporation officers’ residences. Upon completion, this will be the first Children’s Hospital in the Rawalpindi division.
