RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) administration has constructed two medical stores without any tenders and utilising Rs8 million out of the donation of the UAE for the cardiac centre project.

Sources in the SZMCH told this correspondent that the area of bus stand and canteen was vacated in February last and the construction of two large medical stores started in haste without any tenders and work orders.

SZMCH Executive Engineer Zaigham Abbas said a donation of Rs800 million was released four months ago by the UAE for the cardiac centre project and there were chances that it would be lapsed. Meanwhile, the SZMCH administration on Feb 12 auctioned the demolition of old DHQ hospital building but a huge quantity of medicines was stored there due to which the hospital decided to construct two new medical stores.

Riaz and Sons Contractors of Lahore was given permission to construct these stores because there was very much pressure of the contractor to release the work orders of demolition of the DHQ building. Mr Abbas said the construction of stores started in February 2022 without tenders due to emergency after the approval of the principal and the Board of Management (BOM) who got special permission from the secretary health and chief engineer by using 59/D-3 direct contracting powers.

He further said Construction Management Committee chairman Dr Mazhar Jam and members Dr Zafar, Dr Imran Bashir and Dr Saleem Leghari gave a go-ahead to the project. The SZMCH was shifting the medicines to the corona vaccination centre and these would be shifted to the newly-constructed stores within a week.

He said the tenders would be issued after the completion of stores just to fulfill the formality.

SZMCH Director Finance Ahmed Nawaz said the authorities would be responsible for the payment of any civil works to the contractor and he would not sign any illegal bill of payment.

SZMCH Medical Superintendent Agha Touheed told Dawn that the construction had been completed according to rules and regulations and Rs8 million had been utilised from the donation of Rs800 million and the amount would be adjusted later on.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2022