Railway hospitals open doors to general public, says minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is set to open its hospitals to the general public, extending state-of-the-art medical services to not only its employees but also citizens nationwide.

This significant decision, scheduled to take effect in January, has been made under the directive of caretaker federal minister for railways, Capitan (R) Shahid Ashraf Tarar. The move follows the successful opening of Cairns Hospital in Lahore to the public within a stipulated timeframe, earning praise from Minister Tarar.

Pakistan Railways is committed to enhancing healthcare services within the railway sector and plans to collaborate with private health experts to achieve this goal. Public-private partnerships will also play a role in upgrading and improving hospital services.

The department has instructed relevant officials to swiftly devise a business model to generate revenue from Railway Hospitals.

In addition to this healthcare initiative, Pakistan Railways is undertaking the modernization and upgrade of five major railway stations nationwide, aiming to transform them into commercial hubs to facilitate both passengers and revenue generation. The stations earmarked for improvements include Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Quetta.

Over the past three years, the government has allocated Rs 50 million in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the renovation and upgrade of railway stations across the country. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved these station renovations, with six stations already revamped, including Bahawalpur, Raiwind, Narowal, Okara, Sahiwal, and Gujranwala. The upgrades focus on passenger waiting areas, prayer facilities, operation offices, water filtration systems, restrooms, passenger shelters, platforms, ticket counters, parking areas, and overall aesthetic enhancements, all aimed at providing a better experience for passengers and modernizing the railway stations.