RAWALPINDI, Jan 25: The Board of Management (BoM) of autonomous hospitals has refused to approve the Rs130 million project for strengthening of emergency services at the three mega hospitals of the city.

"The Board in its recent meeting rejected the proposals forwarded by the administration with the instructions that the whole project should be reviewed," a source said, adding that the development had left the administration embarrassed.

The provincial government has already released funds for the upgradation of emergency services at the three mega hospitals of the city. However, the authority to take decisions about spending the money and what improvements have to be brought at the hospitals resides with the Board. The hospitals were to prepare the project in view of their requirements.

The Board is likely to take up the revised project for discussion after 15 days. According to a source privy to the meeting, the BoM wanted to know about the fate of the huge amounts spent in the past for improving the services, the current situation and the impact the proposed changes would be able to create.

Another source said the BoM was of the opinion that some of the hospitals had already got the facilities proposed under the project, therefore, it would be more beneficial to reallocate the amount for its useful spending.

The source said the BoM wanted to enhance the share of the District Headquarters Hospital, as it had got less funds. According to the plan, the DHQ Hospital was to get Rs30 million, while the Holy Family Hospital and Rawalpindi General Hospital were to get Rs 50 million each.

Since the DHQ Hospital requires a new building for emergency ward, almost Rs28 million would be spent on construction of the new block and little could be done with the remaining Rs2 million, the source said.

The source said it was possible that the BoM may cut down the share of the RGH and the HFH and enhance the DHQ's share. The provincial government, which had in the later part of last year embarked on the project to improve emergency healthcare at the major hospitals across the province, has provided a total allocation of Rs1 billion for the purpose. The government wants the project to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.