DADU: Though work on the construction of district headquarters hospital continues at its ‘traditional’ pace for the past 13 years, the health officials have been drawing budget every year of the facility, which is merely an incomplete structure of concrete, steel and bricks to this day; and swallowing up the huge public money with complete impunity, according to sources.

The 432-bed hospital was inaugurated by the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in 2010 and it was envisaged to include 16 blocks with hostels, residential quarters, bungalows, nursing schools as well as wards for various diseases.

According to official documents, the hospital will have 200 paramedics, 152 doctors and around 352 other staffers after its completion -- though their salaries are being drawn in the present.

“1.2 million people of the district displaced by last year’s flood disaster in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar, Johi and Dadu talukas are in need of healthcare facility as the basic health units and dispensaries in their areas have been damaged. It is hence the need of the hour to make this hospital functional to provide cater to the needs of the poor patients,” said PPP MPA Pir Mujeebul Haq.

Work on the district health facility in Dadu continues to this day since its inauguration in 2010

“I took up the matter in Sindh Assembly and personally met Sindh Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who assured of completing the DHQ building and informed that an MoU has been signed with Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, to run the facility,” he said.

“The existing Dadu Civil Hospital has no facility for patients and there is not a single specialist doctor. The patients are hence suffering and need the DHQ hospital to get functional at the earliest,” he said.

“The health department is there, so why can’t they complete the remaining work of the hospital and run it themselves, giving public a free service?” said social activist Sardar Rajib Khan Shahani.

He demanded chief minister, health minister and LUMHS vice chancellor to establish a campus in Dadu and declare the DHQ hospital as the teaching hospital of its campus.

The new DHQ hospital was created in 2010, but fake appointments were made and the budget was embezzled by concerned district officers. According to the documents seen by this reporter, funds were being regularly released from 2016 to 2022.

They said that Rs261.280 million funds were allocated and released in 2016-17, Rs299.269m in 2017-18, Rs308.505m in 2018-19, Rs318.692m in 2019-20, Rs457.491m in 2020-21, and Rs495.264m were released in 2021-22.

They said the secretary of health Syed Zulifiqar Ali Shah in a summary to the minister proposed that the DHQ hospital be handed over along with administrative and financial control to the LUMHS by signing an MoU with the university and its requisite funds amounting to Rs1,207.320m with enhancement funds amounting to Rs712.074m in existing allocated budget Rs495.264m be released and allocated in favour of the DHQ hospital for next financial year 2022-2023 and onwards for its smooth functioning in the best public interest.

The summary was approved by the minister, secretary finance and law department and was moved to the chief minister for approval but the summary for handing it over to LUMHS was to routed through the cabinet after CM’s approval, said sources.

“The health department signed the MoU with LUMHS Jamshoro to run the hospital. The university will provide professors, experts and trained staff to cater to patients and as soon as administrative control is handed over and budget is released, it will be started,” said the VC.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023