PESHAWAR, Nov 8: Expressing dissatisfaction over the pace of work on the Khalifa Gul Nawaz Memorial Hospital in Bannu, NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has directed officials to take steps for expediting the work and ensure completion of the project on time.

Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Frontier House here on Tuesday, Mr Durrani said a committee had been constituted to monitor the pace of work on the hospital and ensure early purchase of necessary equipment.

The meeting was attended by the additional chief secretary, secretaries for health, finance and planning departments, officials of the works and services department, project director, Bannu District Nazim Azam Khan Durrani and other local government officials.

The chief minister said quality machinery and other equipment should be purchased for the hospital. He welcomed a proposal of the executive engineer that the health department should instal a machine in the hospital for removing waste.

He warned officials against irregularities in purchase of the hospital machinery and asked them not to indulge in such practices.

He also stressed the need for increasing workforce so that the project could be completed on time to benefit the people of Bannu and nearby districts.

He directed the Bannu DCO to make arrangements for monitoring the progress of the project through a special branch and said a daily report should be sought from officials concerned. He told the meeting that the chief engineer, works and service, would visit the site on his behalf to monitor the pace of the construction work.

Mr Durrani gave an assurance that the provincial government would provide all possible assistance in completing the project, adding that there was no shortage of funds. He also directed for preparing a list of appointed staff and required staff for various departments in the hospital.

The meeting was told that the hospital would be completed and handed over to the health department this year.—PPI