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| October 27, 2003 | Monday | Sha’aban 30, 1424 |
Funds delay hits hospital project
HARIPUR, Oct 26: The provincial government is yet to released the funds surrendered by the district government from the account of district headquarters hospital project.
It has caused a further delay in commissioning of the much needed health facility.
Sources said the district government had in addition to DHQ hospital’s funds exclusively earmarked for purchase of equipments and fixture, surrendered a total of Rs51.208 million from various development heads, including, Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP111), KPP special, Urban Immovable Property Tax, Annual Development Programme, Social Action Programme, and Education Sector Reforms Programme.
Out of the total allocation of Rs15 million for the purchase of equipments and other fixtures for the 210-bed partially completed DHQ hospital during the fiscal year 2002-3, the district government had surrendered Rs11.90 million, as all the four tenders called in quick succession could not be finalized till the close of previous fiscal year. It further delayed the commissioning of hospital’s phase-1 for almost three months.
NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had inaugurated the completed phase of the facility on April 29.
He was informed during official briefing that, since the project had delayed for eight years, the district government and health department had decided to commission the first phase of the hospital with provisional changes in the original structural arrangement by June 30.
However, procedural delay in inviting tenders, unnecessary meddling in the hospital’s affairs, by a Peshawar-based official were the reasons believed to have hindered the commissioning of the health facility.
On the other hand it was also reported that the health department itself, had neither recruited new staff for the new facility nor bifurcation of doctors and paramedics of existing old DHQ was effected so far.
The class B, DHQ, had total sanction strength of 218 employees including specialists, medical officers, nurses, and other paramedic staff, while in the non-technical category it would have 151 employees of different grades and cadres.
For the OPD of the first phase the hospital needed a physician, a child specialist, four medical officers, three nurses, three midwives, three ward attendants and six guards.
At present the existing 72-bed DHQ hospital had nine medical officers out of 10, four specialists out of sanctioned strength of seven, and running without, gynaecologist, medical technicians and deputy medical superintendent. Official sources told Dawn that a complete summary of requirements had been forwarded to the concerned quarters that were finalizing the appointments of concerned staff.
They said that the delay in disbursement of funds meant to make the hospital operational was also being taken up with higher authorities at Peshawar.
The sources said that the commissioning of first phase of the hospital was subject to the release of funds.
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