PESHAWAR: Officials in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department warn that the opening of the 300-bed Peshawar Children Hospital, affiliated with the Khyber Institute of Child Health, is likely to remain in limbo if the Rs2 billion bridge financing promise for the project isn’t fulfilled by the provincial government by the end of next month.
Last December, the provincial government declared the Khyber Institute of Child Health a medical teaching institution and announced a board of governors to speed up the launch of the province’s first specialised children’s hospital. However, a lack of funds is delaying the operationalisation of the facility.
“Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had promised last March to release the required Children Hospital funds by June 15. If this happens, we can open the hospital’s doors to the visitors in July otherwise its future will continue to be uncertain,” a senior official in the health department told Dawn.
He said the government had released Rs352 million for hiring staff members but the BoG had yet to make recruitment considering it a waste of money to give away hefty salaries to employees without the hospital’s operationalisation.
Officials warn opening will remain in limbo if money not released next month
“We’re ready for the interview and appointment exercise but it is being delayed to prevent any disappointments. If the promised funds aren’t released, the staff appointment will be a waste of funds,” he said.
When contacted, BoG chairman Dr Mohammad Rafiq said he was hopeful about the early release of Rs2.1 billion as bridge financing from the provincial government. He said as the federal government, which was financing the project, gave away the amount, it would go to the provincial exchequer.
Dr Rafiq said that the sought-after funds would be utilised to purchase equipment.
“We have advertised key positions. However, it will be a futile exercise to recruit employees without having essential equipment,” he said.
The board chairman said for recruitment, pre-interview eligibility and scoring exercise had been completed, so just a week would be required for candidate interviews and staff selection.
Officials in the health department said that if funds weren’t released in June, then the promise made by the government would turn out to be a mere political statement, leaving the children’s hospital project in limbo.
They said the release of funds would lead to the immediate placing of equipment supply orders for which all other formalities, like tendering, bidding and identification of suppliers, had already been completed.
The officials said supplies would need one month or two for delivery and in the meantime, the recruitment would be made.
The Pakistan Paediatric Association has long been demanding the immediate provision of funds for the opening of the children’s hospital, complaining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province which does not have a dedicated children’s hospital.
It emphasised that the hospital not only ensured specialised treatment of children but also acted as umbrellas for child health services in the province.
“KICH will provide training to existing staff of KP’s hospitals in addition to producing pediatricians in sub-specialties. Presently, dozens of pediatricians having qualifications in sub specialties have been working in other provinces and well-off people from our province take their children there for treatment,” a senior member of PPA told Dawn.
He said as qualified paediatric oncologists, urologists, neonatologists and gastroenterologists from KP worked in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, the opening of the children’s hospital in Peshawar would pave the way for their employment in the province to benefit local patients and ensure training of local doctors.
“Once this hospital gets operational, we hope that donor organisations will help improve its services as they are much interested in enhancing child health services,” he said.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2026
