Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology in Pakistan’s province of Punjab have received approval for the addition of 970 and 180 new beds, respectively. 

The teaching hospital currently has 1,327 beds, reported DAWN. 

The allocation of the new beds to the teaching hospital and the cardiology institute was given by the Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department (SH&MED). 

This move is said to be the part of Punjab Government’s plan to add new beds at various hospitals in the province to improve health infrastructure.  

Under this plan, the SH&MED allocated a total of 34,067 new beds to enhance the capacity of tertiary care hospitals in Punjab.  

These beds are distributed among 55 public health facility centres, covering general, cardiac, children, mother & child hospitals, and dental institutes.  

Out of the total new beds approved, 2,484 beds have been provided to Mayo Hospital at Lahore, 1,813 beds to Nishtar Hospital at Multan, 1,633 beds to Allied Hospital at Faisalabad, and 1,609 beds to Bahawal Victoria Hospital at Bahawalpur.  

Approximately 40% of the beds have been assigned to Lahore city hospitals, and 21% to 12 public health facilities in the South Punjab districts of Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, and DG Khan. 

Recently, Sahiwal commissioner Shoaib Iqbal inaugurated 12 new operating theatres at the surgical tower of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, a move that will enhance the hospital’s capacity to serve the 6.7 million citizens in the Sahiwal division, reported DAWN.  

The hospital treats over 2,000 patients daily in its outpatient department.  

The new modern operating theatres are expected to provide better conditions for surgeries. 

Last June, the provincial government of Sindh commenced construction of Central Hospital Karachi. 

Approximately Rs4bn ($48.47m) was allocated for the hospital construction.