VEHARI: The under-construction building of the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Burewala could not be completed even after a lapse of seven years due to shortage of funds.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had announced upgrade of the hospital in May 2011 from 60 to 150 beds. However, the Punjab government allegedly released insufficient funds which delayed the completion of the new building where work had been stopped. Later on, the hospital project was taken up by the Infrastructure Development Authority of the Punjab (IDAP). Under the plan, the THQ hospital was to be revamped by the Punjab government to improve the infrastructure and to provide modern equipment in its trauma centres but the equipment could not be provided in absence of the building.

The district administration asked the building department to hand over the ground floor of the incomplete building to the hospital administration a few days back.

Medical Superintendent Dr Amjad Shakeel said the hospital had started a night shift for general, dental and gynecology patients and the dispensary.

“The THQ Burewala had started a night shift with three doctors and it is the second hospital in the province to start the night shift after Lahore. He said that due to incomplete building the visitors and the hospital staff were facing difficulties,” Mr Shakeel added.

Exen Building Vehari Shehzad Sami told Dawn the funds for the THQ hospital building had stopped three years back, saying that the building dept had repeatedly informed Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan but in vain. Giving further details, he said the total cost of the hospital extension project was Rs125m and about Rs80m had been spent on the construction of the building so far.

Building SDO Mr Musa said 80pc of the construction work of the hospital had been completed while the remaining work was stopped due to unavailability of funds.

Vehari Deputy Commissioner Ali Akbar Bhatti said the district administration was trying to get remaining funds released at the earliest. Denying that there was any shortage of funds, he claimed an amount of Rs20m was recently released and the construction work of the remaining building was going on.

However, Mr Sami rejected the DC’s claim regarding release of the funds.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018