QUETTA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended an inauguration ceremony in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, to launch 11 major healthcare development projects.
According to sources, these initiatives focus on emergency medical response, trauma care, maternal and child healthcare, primary health services, immunization, modern digital health systems, government employees’ health insurance, tuberculosis treatment, and strengthening rapid medical access in remote areas.
The detailed breakdown of the 11 inaugurated projects is as follows:
1. Trauma Emergency & Response Institute
Established on Spini Road, Quetta, this state-of-the-art 150-bed trauma center marks a historic upgrade to Balochistan’s emergency medical framework.
The institute is fully equipped with advanced operation theaters, intensive care units (ICUs), diagnostic facilities, and emergency wards to provide immediate, high-quality treatment to victims of road accidents, natural disasters, explosions, and other emergencies.
In collaboration with the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi, the medical staff is receiving specialized training to meet international standards of care.
2. Benazir Ambulance Service for Emergencies
Launched to ensure the timely transport of patients across Balochistan, this service specifically caters to pregnant women, accident victims, and critically ill patients.
Ambulance control centers have been set up across various districts, deploying trained personnel and modern ambulances to deliver immediate medical relief to remote areas.
3. Peoples Air Ambulance
The Government of Balochistan has launched Pakistan’s first provincial-level public air ambulance service to ensure rapid medical aid and emergency aerial transit for patients in distant regions.
In a highly cost-effective move, the government repurposed an existing aircraft from the official state fleet into a modern air ambulance instead of purchasing a new one.
This unique facility is equipped with advanced medical gear, oxygen systems, monitoring machines, and specialized incubators for neonatal emergency transport.
4. Bacha Khan Memorial Hospital
This modern 50-bed hospital in Quetta is dedicated to the healthcare of women and children. Equipped with state-of-the-art medical machinery, it provides maternal care, pediatric services, emergency response, and specialized diagnostic treatments.
To ensure high standards of care, the facility is being managed in partnership with the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Foundation.
5. Revitalization of Primary Health Centers (BHUs)
Under this initiative, 164 Basic Health Units (BHUs) have been reactivated across Balochistan, including several centers that had been dysfunctional for years.
Doctors, nurses, vaccinators, and supporting medical staff have been deployed to these facilities to provide primary treatment, maternal and childcare, immunizations, and first-aid right at the doorsteps of local communities.
6. Health Insurance Program for Government Employees
The Balochistan government is introducing a modern health insurance system for public employees and their families to relieve them of financial stress during medical emergencies.
The program replaces a cumbersome, outdated reimbursement system with a transparent, digitized mechanism offering cashless treatment at selected paneled hospitals.
7. Strengthening the Immunization System
Aimed at making the child vaccination framework more effective across the province, this project has recruited hundreds of new vaccinators and community workers.
Mobile vaccination vans and motorbikes have been provided to ensure that immunization outreach successfully covers the most far-flung regions of Balochistan.
8. Expansion of ChildLife Emergency Services
This project expands specialized pediatric emergency care to various districts of Balochistan.
These dedicated centers will provide immediate medical intervention for children suffering from respiratory distress, trauma, accidents, and other critical health complications.
9. Health Information & Digitalization Unit
A modern digital system has been introduced within the Balochistan Health Department to enhance transparency, oversight, and administrative efficiency.
The system has successfully digitized the records of thousands of employees and implemented an AI-based attendance tracking framework.
Additionally, tracking disease trends, patient treatments, and provincial health data will now be managed entirely through this digital system.
10. Peoples Welfare Program
This major public welfare initiative ensures an uninterrupted supply of essential medicines and medical equipment to government hospitals, facilitating free treatment for patients.
A key feature includes an AI-based monitoring and referral system for pregnant women, designed to detect high-risk pregnancies early and ensure timely transport to major hospitals.
11. Drug-Resistant TB Treatment Centers
Specialized centers for the treatment of severe and complex drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) have been established in 10 district hospitals across Balochistan.
Previously, patients had to travel to major metropolitan cities for treatment; however, they can now access advanced diagnostics and care within their own districts via specially trained medical staff.
