Land For Shifa Hospital Allotted On Investment, Not Trust Basis: Malik Mukhtar

Sumaira FH Published May 14, 2025 | 02:20 PM

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2025) Minister of State for Health Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that land for Shifa Hospital in Islamabad was allotted in 1987 on an investment basis rather than as a charitable trust grant.

Responding to a question from MNA Sahibzada Sibghatullah during the Question Hour, Malik stated that the land was provided at a significantly reduced price with the understanding that a modern hospital would be established in the capital.

“Shifa’s position was that it would build a state-of-the-art hospital in Islamabad, and a commitment of $2 million in investment was made at the time,” he said.

Clarifying further, Malik added that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has no role in ensuring free treatment at trust hospitals.

“Each trust operates under its own set of rules and regulations,” he said.

In a separate response to a question from Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam, Malik said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had originally announced civil defense training for 9,000 citizens, but has so far trained 13,000 individuals, including 12,000 men.

He added that during recent hostilities, civil defense volunteers actively participated in emergency operations, including assisting with the transportation of the injured to hospitals.

“We also have provincial-level data regarding civil defense training and preparedness,” he concluded.