KARACHI: Construction plan finalised for CHK’s trauma centre
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, July 25: Sindh Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad on Wednesday approved the relocation of the ophthalmology and neurology departments of the Civil Hospital Karachi to make way for a 14-storey trauma centre.
Addressing a meeting called to finalise the details of the proposed trauma centre, Syed Sardar Ahmad directed the CHK Board of Governors to prepare a new PC-1 at the earliest.
Earlier, an 11-storey building was planned in the hospital’s vicinity for the establishment of a well-equipped trauma centre in the city. Under the plan, the first four floors would be reserved for car parking.
The project, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council about 18 months back, could not be initiated because the Sindh government reportedly failed to make up its mind about the site.
The cost of the project, which is likely to be completed in three years, will be shared equally by the federal and provincial governments.
According to the decisions taken at the CHK meeting, now the trauma centre will be constructed on an area of 317,000 square feet while the eye and neurology departments will be shifted to the Sindh Services Hospital premises off M.A. Jinnah Road.
The offices of the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority, chemical examiner and two other health-care facilities existing at present on the premises of Services Hospital will also be shifted.
The minister asked the Sindh HIV/AIDS Control Programme manager to identify possible sites at any of the provincial government health-care facilities or hire an appropriate building close to any of the major hospitals of the city for shifting the laboratory and treatment centre from the Services hospital at the earliest.
The meeting was told that the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority and all its services would be relocated to the City District Government Dispensary Mehmoodabad.
Board of Governors Chairman Abu Shamim Arif, Medical Superintendent Dr Kaleem Butt and others attended the meeting.
On the occasion, the minister in principle agreed on a proposal for the establishment of an operation theatre of the gynaecology department and asked the civil hospital to fulfil all formalities for an approval.
