Kidney centre project faces further delay

Officials say patients likely to wait another year for the facility to get functional

RAWALPINDI: The provincial authorities of Punjab have once again failed to meet the final deadline for completion of Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT).

The mega health project has been in development stage for over past five years and was set to finally complete by May 15, 2018.

Official sources said that delays were creating doubts over the unscrupulous revisions in its budget, which has been increased from Rs3.2 billion to over Rs4 billion in the past five years.



Officials said that the final completion of the project may take another full year owing to sluggish pace of recruitment, machinery installation and funds approval.

According to plans, officials said, the 265-bed hospital was supposed to start its emergency, out-patient department (OPD) and dialysis facilities before the final deadline.

However, non-release of additional funds amounting to Rs500 million failed the plan, they said. Out of the additional funds, Rs200 millions had to be paid to contractors.

The foundation of the hospital was laid in Shamsabad Murree Road by former Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif in September 2012. In addition to Rawalpindi Division, the hospital was meant to cater patients from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

As per plans, development work for the project had to start in 2013 but funds for the facility remained unavailable for the next three years, raising the estimated cost of Rs3.2 billion to Rs3.8 billion. A further increase was estimated in the years that proceeded, with cost jumping to Rs4 billion, officials said quoting project documents.

Though construction work for hospital building has been completed, the task for recruitment of doctors and staff remains a tedious job for Rawalpindi Medical University, whose VC has been informed to complete the process in shortest possible time.

A large amount of medical equipment has also been procured while provision for ambulances is expected by the end of August.



The hospital will also have a large dialysis center comprising of 30 machines. Five operation theaters have already been set at the hospital. Work for an operation theater is currently underway. After failure to meet the deadlines, first in 2016 and then in 2018, the hospital may also see further delays if funds are not released on time. According to sources, the recent lag in release of funds is caused by a freeze imposed by election commission, officials said.

On the other side, health experts in Rawalpindi and nearby cities are reporting an alarming rise in the number of patients inflicted with kidney-related conditions. Patients in these vicinities, health experts said, are referred to Liver and Kidney Transplant hospital in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2018.