Punjab government is introducing green field hospitals scheme through which big hospitals would be established in Punjab with the collaboration of private sector and first hospital of its kind would be constructed in Lahore having capacity of 500 beds. For this purpose, government has allocated 40 kanal lands in Johar Town at a prime location.
It was stated by the Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Najam Ahmad Shah while addressing Hospital Road Show in a local hotel, Karachi. Najam Ahmad Shah said that it would be a first general hospital in Punjab and Pakistan which would be constructed through public private partnership. Chief Executive Office Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Zaheer Abbas Malik and a large number of investors, lenders and operators participated in the Road Show. Secretary Health said that Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif approved the scheme to establish hospitals under green field hospitals project to ensure maximum health facilities to the masses. He said that though the government is spending huge funds on the development of health sector and to provide quality healthcare to the people but still needs more attention and more investment. He said that government has decided to utilize the service and expertise of private sector for establishing green field hospitals. He said that by getting the private sector on board, the quality of health services would be improved and the chances of corruption in the construction of hospital infrastructure would also be eradicated. Earlier, CEO PHIMC Zaheer Abbas Malik briefed the participants regarding the green field hospitals project. He said that first road show was conducted in Lahore and the second in Karachi whereas next road show would be arranged in first week of November in Dubai and Turkey to attract the investors in this project. He further said that first hospital would be established in Lahore under this project and phase-wise it would be expanded in other divisions and districts of the province. He further said that these hospitals would be constructed under public private partnership on the basis of Built Operate and Transfer (BOT). The time span of this agreement would be 30 years after the completion of construction of the hospital and full protection would be provided to the investors under the law.