KARACHI: An inordinate delay in reconstruction and carpeting of the roads and streets surrounding the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi — a major public sector tertiary care health facility commonly known as CHK — will continue to pile miseries on people, especially patients, for at least another two months as the project would not be completed within stipulated time.

Located in an old, congested locality with a few access routes, the CHK caters to thousands of poor patients daily.

Speaking to Dawn, patients and the medical staff said they had been facing a lot of inconvenience as all roads leading to the hospital had been dug up, including the Baba-e-Urdu road which was in good condition.

“Not just getting into the hospital on our vehicles and attending duties on time have become a challenge, quality of care is being affected as the staff reach the healthcare facility frustrated and exhausted,” shared a doctor, adding that there was no sign that the work started in February would end anytime soon.

Patient’s and medical staff’s troubles, he said, were compounded by the fact that the hospital’s gutter lines had been broken quite a few times in this civic operation, causing accumulation of sewage in front of the hospital at different spots.

Sources told Dawn that the “Rehabilitation of internal roads/streets surrounding Ruth Pfau Hospital” was a part of the Karachi Mega Project with an estimated cost of Rs240 million and it was to be completed in June this year.

However, they said, only 30 per cent work on the project could be carried out with the release of only 20pc funds to the contractor, who was awarded the contract almost four months ago.

Project Director Prem Kuman told Dawn that the work on sewerage system in the area had been completed. “We hope to complete 300,000 square feet carpeting of the roads and streets around the hospital by June 30,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2022