World Bank cuts grant for healthcare project due to ‘extensive implementation delays’

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has decided to reduce the duration of a healthcare project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from three years to one year and curtail its grant from $16 to $10.2 million because of extensive implementation delays.

The project was aimed at improving the availability, accessibility and delivery of primary and secondary healthcare services in six districts of the province.

The grant from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) administered by the World Bank was for strengthening healthcare services in the province, particularly in districts affected by militancy. The project was designed to bring improvement in health management.

An implementation report prepared by the World Bank says that the project has been in ‘problem status’ due to ‘extensive implementation delays’, especially in the procurement process of district management contracts.

According to the report, the project was restructured last month. Its objective remains the same, but the scope of work has been reduced due to limited time available for implementation.

One component of the project has been deleted and allocation for the remaining two components has been reduced.

The allocation of $11 million for a component of the project aimed at revitalising health services has been reduced to $8.2 million and the rehabilitation of health infrastructure component of the project has been deleted.

The allocation for establishing a robust monitoring and evaluation system at the district and provincial level has now been slashed to $2 million from the allocated $4 million.

The administrative arrangements of the project have been changed and an independent project management unit has been established in place of the project managed by health sector reform unit. The project management unit has been transferred directly under the administrative control of secretary health and the project coordinator has been given the requisite financial powers.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has recently finalised its comprehensive development strategy based on which a health sector strategy has been prepared.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2014

Pakistan

Amin Ahmed is an Islamabad-based correspondent for Dawn with nearly two decades of experience in the field. He reports on socio-economic development, agriculture, and privatisation, as well as parliamentary committees.

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Shahid

Jul 02, 2014 08:18am

I am very much dishearted by KPK government's lack of implementation in various fields. They could not use their developement funds last year and the money stayed back with the centeral government. Now again they lose a major part of this free grant only because they couldn't implement the agreed program. Is Imran Khan only concerned with 4 constituencies or has he any idea of governance in KPK. He should be concerned that if again this year KPK doesn't implement the development budget then people will strongly question PTI's ability to rule.

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Salma

Jul 02, 2014 08:26am

Mr. pervaiz Khtak should govern or resign and let some one else run the government. They can not make things work. Now you lose 6 billion rupees in grant for health same as you lost billions in developement funds due to the same reason, lack of implementation. Is PTI becoming only a protest party? You can't go on boasting over the decision to make police non political. There are a thousand other fields too where things should be moving fast. It looks as if you start planning only after budget allocations where as you need to budget for the programs which are planned a year before and are ready for promt implementation.

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Farooq

Jul 02, 2014 08:33am

There seems serious inefficiency in governance. On one hand Pakistan lack its own resources for health care projects for masses, and on the other hand Grants available for implementation of projects remain underutilized, and are being reduced by the donor agency. This demonstrate that politicians want to deprive people of Pakistan from their basic right.

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random_user

Jul 02, 2014 09:32am

This is really bad. The govt should make sure that such mishaps don't happen. Only the poor will suffer.

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Farrukh Mahmood

Jul 02, 2014 09:50am

Health minister of PTI in KPK should resign, oh sorry why would he? He didn't even apologized over 4 deaths by Measles vaccination.

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Khadim

Jul 02, 2014 10:25am

Naya KPK anyone?

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tab

Jul 02, 2014 11:25am

Again the comments here show no understanding of working of such cooperation. Such delays are normal whenever donors like USAID, EU, DFID and WB work with federal and provincial governments in Pakistan. And remember that all blame should not be placed at the door of Pakistan governments, donors' lengthy procedures are also responsible. This reporter instead of relying on WB statement should have worked more. He should have talked to the KP minister for health, relevant people in the WB, and also impact of conflict on such projects. Only giving the statement of one side is not journalism. Editors at Dawn should wake up.

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Ali Zeb

Jul 02, 2014 11:45am

No details on when the project was supposed to start or any other details about it. It was to be launched in Battagram, Buner, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohistan and Torghar, between 2012 and 2015. The project initially approved was for $25 million but could not be executed in time due to failure of the previous government. "The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has recently finalised its comprehensive development strategy based on which a health sector strategy has been prepared." Tells it all.

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dr ahsan

Jul 02, 2014 12:01pm

And d last line says:"The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has recently finalised its comprehensive development strategy based on which a health sector strategy has been prepared." To all me dear frndz, read the whole article actively... Thanks

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Janderbari-Malikpur-Abbottabad

Jul 02, 2014 12:06pm

PTI govt is the worse govt in the history of NWFP, Imran Khan is trying to run govt like an NGO where on power point slides everything shown as green / revolution but on ground nothing done.... same was with KPK govt

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haris

Jul 02, 2014 01:32pm

@Janderbari-Malikpur-Abbottabad I was anxious not to find Imran Khan and PTI 'bashing' from you till at the very end of the comment section I found you. puh! Thanks, you lived up to my expectations. by the way did you actually read the article? the last line says something which I am sure you didn't understand. "The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has recently finalised its comprehensive development strategy based on which a health sector strategy has been prepared."

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adeel

Jul 02, 2014 03:41pm

Visit KPK or Peshawar to get the clear indication how good "Naya Pakistan" is. Dont need IK bashing or anything else, people on roads will do it for you. Its the same in all provinces. KPK is no exception.

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Zoaib

Jul 02, 2014 10:08pm

@Shahid I believe this is the same project abt which PTI felt changes were needed since more was being wasted on admin than actual people of KP. Governments have the prerogative to decide which projects they want to carry forward and in what way to best serve the people. Disagreement on projects does not mean "inefficiency" - and if there was some inefficiency in the past year it was only because of the need to ensure transparency in the use of funds, which was core PTI promise to the people.

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