At NIH: WHO among institutions defaulting on rent

Senate panel surprised that institute does not have an IT expert

ISLAMABAD: A number of health institutions, including the World Health Organisation, set up on the premises of the National Institute of Health (NIH) have been defaulting on their rent for years.

Moreover, the NIH had over 300 empty posts, including the absence of an IT expert.

The Senate Committee on National Health Services, while holding its meeting at the NIH in Chak Shahzad on Monday was told that institutions were supposed to pay around Rs37 million in annual rent.

Over the years, these dues had accumulated to Rs300 million.

NIH Executive Director Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, who briefed the committee, said that the NIH had been set up on 654 acres on which different health institutions had established their offices. Of this, 22 kanals had been given to the WHO.

He added that two towers installed on its land too had not paid rent to the NIH since 2011.

Moreover, the committee was also told that the institute had rented out 70 shops on its premises to its employees.



These employees had further leased the shops out charging Rs1 million each. However, possession of these shops was taken back after involving the courts.

The institute conducted 100,000 tests of patients but the machines are around 30 years old and have become obsolete.  He said the institute needs experts and latest equipment.

The Dr Ahmad added that the institute has around 1,055 positions of which 344 have been vacant for a long time.

The committee members were surprised to know that the institute does not have any information technology expert and all transactions for tests conducted at the facility are managed through manual book-keeping with no digital records.

The panel directed that these vacant slots should be filled at the earliest.

Touring the facility, the committee members remarked that the institute has a huge chunk of land which can be used for building additional health facilities and institutes.

They also suggested that funds granted to the NIH be increased while outstanding rent should be recovered from defaulters.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2017.