LAHORE: Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Syed Asif Hashmi re-opened the Janki Devi Hospital on Friday after nearly four months. The 76-year-old maternity hospital was closed almost four months ago and all patients were discharged owing to a tussle between two groups of hospital employees and some renovation work as claimed by ETPB officials. Speaking on the occasion, Hashmi said that the hospital would be made an “exemplary” health establishment at par with other state-of-the-art health facilities across the city.
One ambulance and a PCR test machine have also been provided to the hospital, he said. The ETPB chairman also spoke of the expected administrative changes in the hospital. He said that the hospital was closed for maintenance which had been completed adding that strict instructions have been passed on to the staff to maintain the standards of cleanliness.
Hashmi said that increased revenue of the ETPB would be spent on people’s welfare by providing better health facilities at the hospital. ETPB Secretary Ameer Khan Wazir, Chairman Coordinator Umar Bokhari, doctors and journalists were also present on the occasion. ETPB Public Relations Officer (PRO) Amir Hashmi told Pakistan Today that the administration would advertise for a dentist, child specialist and general practitioner for the hospital to make it the best hospital in the city.
He said that a machine to test hepatitis would also be provided soon to the hospital. Young Doctors’ Association General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi said that re-opening of the hospital was a very positive move and credit goes to the print and electronic media which had highlighted the issue. He said that the administration had actually planned to re-open the hospital in March next year. Kazmi said closure of the maternity hospital had caused a lot of inconvenience to poor patients.
