PESHAWAR: Lack of funds has been delaying construction of the first-ever burns, trauma and reconstructive surgery centre in the province, according to sources.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Workers Welfare Fund Islamabad in 2008 to establish a 120-bed centre with facilities for burns, trauma and reconstructive surgery. The centre was supposed to begin operations in June 2012, sources said. However, they said, non-availability of funds by WWF was delaying its construction. They added that 80 per cent civil work of the centre was already completed.

Sources said that under the MoU, the WFF was required to provide Rs600 million for the centre out of its total cost of Rs1billion, however, it provided only half of the amount. The WFF had pledged to construct the basement, ground and first floor besides providing equipment to the centre where all the industrial workers had been pledged free treatment, they added.

Sources said that row among the members of governing body (GB) of WWF was major cause of delay in release of funds. No meeting of GB had taken place during the past one year which not only halted construction of burns centre in Peshawar but several other projects in the country, they added.

Workers Welfare Fund Islamabad yet to release amount for the facility

Sources said that the GB meeting was scheduled to be held on November 3 to decide about release of funds for the centre but it couldn’t take place. There was a tussle among its members due to which the project meant for poor workers was facing long delay, they added.

Sources said that provincial government had already released Rs350 million for the project. The provincial government was ready to start construction of the second floor of the centre if WWF provided funds to complete its first floor, they added.

The WWF deducts heavy amount from all the factories in lieu of provision of health and education facilities to their children but the project which is aimed at providing free treatment to industrial workers has been put on back burner.

The provincial government was also in contact with the governor to get the amount released from the centre, sources said. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had also requested the prime minister to order release of the amount to complete the centre, they added.

Prof Mohammad Tahir, the project director for the centre, said that they desperately required funds to complete the project because the already completed section of the building was decaying.

“We have also reserved 10 beds for the industrial workers, who receive burn wounds very often, but non-availability of amount to complete the structure is hampering our plan,” he said.

Presently, the burn victims were shifted outside the province for lack of facilities, Prof Tahir said, adding that the province had 20 plastic surgeons, which could make it a centre of excellence.

“We can also receive patients from Afghanistan and Pakistani workers from Middle East and other countries as they face problems in getting specialised treatment in their host countries,” he said.

Prof Tahir, who is also head of plastic surgery department at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), said that provincial government had agreed to recruit 60 employees for the centre besides allocating Rs300 million per year as operational cost but they were waiting for the WWF’s funds.

He said that provincial government had also allocated land for the project and it was willing to support the centre after it started operations. “We have planned to provide treatment to patients as well as train specialists, who could establish burns, trauma and reconstructive surgery at district level,” he said.

Prof Tahir said that they completed 20 beds plastic surgery wards in Bannu, Chitral and Timergara with the financial assistance of German government but it would be a big facility to act like an umbrella for burn care services in the province.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2015