Polyclinic expansion: Public frustrated with delays

Govt has approved the extension project for the hospital but work on the project has yet to begin

ISLAMABAD: Public frustration with limited space and facilities at the Federal Government Polyclinic (FGPC) Hospital simmered on Tuesday with many calling on the government to expedite expansion of the hospice.

“It would be better to focus on the extension plan [for the hospital] rather than renovating existing buildings,” said visitor Zahid Majeed. He added that allocating more money to renovating the hospital was a waste as it would not accommodate additional patients.

The government approved the extension project for Polyclinic under which a 1,100 bed, state-of-the-art- hospital would be built. Land for the facility had been secured from the Argentine Park. However, work on the project has yet to begin.

“If land was allocated and possession of the land was taken from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), what further requirements were needed to start the project?” asked Akhtar Amin, another visitor at the Polyclinic. He added that extending the hospital was the need of the hour since the facility serviced a large number of patients frequenting it.

When contacted, an official of the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), said the government was seriously working on Polyclinic’s extension project. He confirmed that the government had allocated 2.54 acres of land adjacent to the existing hospital building and its possession was also secured from CDA.

The official explained that the government would soon start a feasibility study for the project. A token allocation of Rs100 million had been made in the PSDP for 2016-2017.

The new section will have an information management system, critical care services, clinical departments, diagnostic facilities, specialised tertiary care, fully computerised investigation systems in addition to neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery, magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) and a state-of-the-art operation theatre.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.