PESHAWAR: The Unicef has pledged to design the Peshawar Children’s Hospital in a way that it will look like a children’s park instead of a hospital, according to an official.
“Being a 100pc Children’s Hospital, all its buildings will wear a fantastic look when its interior designing is finished. The Unicef is sending a team of experts from Lahore to give a fascinating shape to the facility for which the government has promised to provide Rs2.1 billion for equipment and other goods,” Dr Mohammad Rafiq, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Khyber Institute of Health (Kich) and Children’s Hospital, Peshawar, told Dawn.
He said the communication and works department had been requested to finish civil works as soon as possible because after its designing, it would get the unchangeable final shape.
Dr Rafiq, who has vast experience of working in UN agencies said that they would get the promised amount from the government within a fortnight and that supply orders had been placed to ensure that the long-delayed hospital becomes operational within a month and a half.
Govt promises Rs2.1 billion for equipment, other items
Kich and its affiliated Children’s Hospital was approved by the federal government more than 10 years ago, but due to provision of fewer funds, it couldn’t be completed.
The remaining Rs2.1 billion was to be provided by the federal government but the provincial government agreed for bridge financing and after those funds are provided by the Centre, they will go to the provincial government.
He said the team of expert designers would make videos of the proposed shapes for selection by us that would be final.
“It will look like a park and will be eye-catching,” he said.
The BoG chairman said that the UN agencies had pledged massive support once it became operational.
He said some organisations would give free ambulances, while others would establish neonatal ward, operating theatre and burns ward to ensure that children got all required facilities in the 300-bed hospitals.
He said the organisations would not only establish the wards and operating theatres but they would also run them for five years.
“After completion of all work and operationalisation of the hospital, they will hold a donor conference to get more state-of-the-art machines and facilities for the hospital. As per our programme, we are on our way to get top equipment on the pattern of European hospitals and children get the services which are not available in other cities of the country,” he said.
Dr Rafiq said orders for the recruitment of executives would be issued soon for which interviews had already been done. He said the issuance of appointment letters was delayed due to a wait for funds.
The BoG chairman said the hospital work could have been completed long ago but it was delayed, causing health issues to children and also escalating cost.
He, however, said the present government had realised the significance of the hospital and wanted to make it functional at the earliest possible. All provinces except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have dedicated children’s hospitals where patients receive all kinds of specialised care, while the children whose parents could afford it transport their children for treatment to the provinces.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Paediatric Association has appreciated the government for ensuring provision of funds to make the health facility functional. It said that the Children’s Hospital would pave the way for specialised paediatric training of doctors, nurses and paramedics, benefitting children throughout the province.
Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026.
