China-gifted hospital inaugurated in Chak Shahzad after remaining unused for years

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the 250-bed Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Chak Shahzad on Thursday, marking its revival after remaining unused since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The hospital, gifted by China, will now provide free medical treatment to patients through the private organization Indus. Expressing gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the prime minister lamented the hospital's closure post-pandemic, criticizing the previous PTI government for deeming it redundant.

He apologized for the hospital's revival after years, stating that it was not his responsibility but rather a rejection of the previous government's decision to name it Margalla Hospital. The government has now handed over the hospital to Indus management, promising 100% free medical treatment for patients from any part of the country.

The facility, originally named Margalla Hospital and constructed by the Frontier Works Organisation in collaboration with various authorities, was built with a Chinese grant of $4 million and a total cost of approximately Rs980 million. The hospital, spanning 40 kanals, was initially established as an Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre during the Covid-19 pandemic.