Polyclinic admin requests supplementary grant

CDA allots 2.54 acres of Argentina Park’s land to hospital for extension

ISLAMABAD: The administration of Polyclinic Hospital has asked for a supplementary grant for the extension project. They asked the Ministry of Health to immediately provide Rs478.96 million, while a summary has also been sent to the ministry in this regard.

Previously, the former chief justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar had annulled the stay order against the extension of Holy Family Hospital after which the administration of the hospital had decided to ask the Health Ministry for a supplementary grant.

Sources disclosed that a cost of some Rs478.96 million was estimated for the survey and preparation of PC-II of the extension project, which was later approved by the steering committee of the project.

Earlier, the extension project of the hospital had been approved 11 years-ago. The government of Argentina had also granted the hospital authorities permission to construct a new building on the adjoining land of Argentina Park. Moreover, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allotted land of around 2.54 acres from Argentina Park’s land for the extension.



However, the project never saw the light of day due to the Supreme Court’s stay order against the extension.

Later, keeping in view the public interest, the  Apex Court lifted the stay order.

The hospital administration had demarcated the allotted boundary and started using it as a parking space. However, the matter was again taken to the court and another stay order followed which was later nullified by Saqib Nisar just two days before his retirement.

According to documents of a PC-II prepared in 2016 for the expansion of the hospital, available with The Express Tribune, shows that the new air-conditioned multi-storey building will be a ground-plus-seven floor establishment along with a basement and will have a total covered area of 421,944 square feet.

However, the foundations of the building will be reinforced to allow further vertical expansion of up to 20 storeys. Moreover, the construction will be earthquake proof. The PC-2 put forward an estimate of Rs119.77 million for construction of the building, Rs1.8 million for infrastructure and Rs746.2 million for electrical and mechanical works.

Other design considerations include traffic and supply flow, location, centralisation and autonomy of departments, rapid admission system, early call attendance, patient and staff safety, green environment, flexibility and learning and teaching culture (since the hospital also doubles as a postgraduate medical college).

The beds would be doubled to 1,100.

The extension will be done in two phases

In phase one, the hospital will be shifted in the new building constructed on 2.54 acres acquired land of Argentina Park.

Meanwhile, in phase two, another new block will be constructed at the same location as the old hospital building.

The new building would follow modern patterns including information management system, critical care services, clinical departments, diagnostic facilities, specialised tertiary care, computerised investigation system, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery, CT scan, MRI and a modernised operation theatre including  basement parking. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2019.