GWADAR: In a promising development, work has begun to provide 2 MW of electricity to the Pak-China Friendship Hospital (PCFH) in Gwadar, starting on January 11. The provision of 2 MW of electricity will allow the hospital to operate all its health apparatus and medical departments at optimal levels.
Speaking to Gwadar Pro, PCFH Deputy Manager of Administration, Nadir Ali Baloch, said that progress was made after the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) approved a private firm to begin development activities following the completion of the tendering process last month.
“The transmission lines will be laid from the main grid station to a dedicated feeder to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the hospital,” he added. A GDA official explained that, in the absence of a steady electricity supply, the hospital’s power needs have so far been partially met through diesel generators, which incur an operational cost of Rs. 2 million per month.
Due to the lack of power, he said, the heavy medical machinery installed in the hospital has been non-operational. Since its opening in June 2024, Pak-China Friendship Hospital has provided free medical services to more than 212,000 patients from Gwadar and various parts of Balochistan, especially women and children, in both the outpatient and emergency sections. The hospital, completed at a cost of 100 million US dollars and funded by the Chinese government under the framework of CPEC, is equipped with 150 beds and a fully functional outpatient department, and has won the hearts of local people.
Spanning 68 acres, PCFH was developed under the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Business Plan. The hospital consists of six blocks: the medical block, residential block, nursing block, paramedical institute block, medical college block, and central laboratory block, along with other allied facilities, medical equipment, and machinery. After its completion, the hospital was handed over to the Gwadar Development Authority.
It is now operated by the IHHN, serving the ailing population as a non-profit organization. –Agencies
