RAHIM YAR KHAN: Cracks have started appearing in the newly-constructed building of the Shaikh Zayed College of Nursing (SZCN).

The construction of the double-storey building of the college was started a few years back along with the hostels of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) and it was completed last year with the cost of Rs145m.

It was to offer admissions to 100 students to BSN Generic (five-year nursing programme), 30 students to two-year diploma post-RN BSN, 20 students to a one-year diploma and as many to one-year ICU/CCU diploma and one-year accidental and emergency diploma.

The building consists of classrooms, administration offices, faculty rooms and a principal office. The classes have not yet to start.

After the long spell of rain that last red for two about weeks last month, cracks have appeared on rooftop floor of the building. Due to these cracks, the rainwater is seeping into the structure and affecting walls and ceilings of rooms on the first floor.

The SZCN officials have started filling the cracks with cement.

Sources in the SZNCH said the nursing college building was constructed by provincial building department and it had not been officially handed over to the SZMCH engineering department and construction project officials.

When contacted, the SZMCH focal person said that according to EXEN Zaigham Abbas, the building of the nursing college had not been taken over by the SZMCH engineering department from the provincial building department because its P-4 had not been signed yet.

However, Abbas admitted that there were problems in construction of building which were being rectified and the labour of contractor were completing civil works.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2020