Punjab govt releases Rs400m for RIUT

Money will be used to procure equipment for the urology centre; Rs200m released for kidney hospital

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government on Friday said that it has released Rs400 million to procure machinery and other equipment for the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Transplant (RIUT).  The Punjab health ministry has released another Rs200 million to make this long-delayed project functional by April.

Moreover, the provincial health ministry has appointed Dr Khalid Randhawa as the medical superintendent of the hospital where outpatient facilities were expected to commence by the end of the first quarter of 2020.

According to documents seen by The Express Tribune, the Punjab government has released funds for the purchase of 10 ventilators for the intensive care unit of RIUT. Moreover, 10 infusion pumps, ultrasonic cleaners for breaking and or dislodging kidney stones, stone pinch set, x-ray system, heating system for patients, and complete camera control unit for processes like endoscopy, laparoscopy and electronically-adjustable beds with monitoring devices will be procured. Moreover, the five-story hospital will have some 400 beds.

All such facilities will be provided to patients at RIUT for no additional cost.

The process for purchasing machinery is expected to start in February and will be completed in time before the health facility starts working over the next two months, sources said.

The hospital administration has acquired power and gas connection in addition to a tube-well on its premises to meet its power and water needs. Sources say that by March 31, the outpatient department (OPD) and three floors of the hospital will be operational.

Moreover, by the end of the year, surgeries will also commence at the facility. Once complete, RIUT will be the only public-sector hospital for renal and kidney diseases in the Rawalpindi division, they said.

Long-delayed project

A victim of political ownership, RIUT has been on the hold for almost a decade adding to the difficulties of poor patients who have to either spend huge sums of money in the private hospitals or wait for months before their operation dates arrive.

Consecutive governments have abandoned progress on RIUKT on the pretext of being a project of a rival party.

The ground-breaking of the project was performed by the former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2012. The project cost has since skyrocketed to Rs4 billion from the initial cost of Rs3.2 billion.

The Rawalpindi division lacks any institution of the kind and it has been reported that many patients facing kidney-related diseases either succumb to them due to scarcity of resources to afford private hospitals or have to travel to other cities to seek treatment.

Development projects

The Punjab government has released funds worth over Rs500 million to Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) for work on more than 200 projects in the city.

The projects have been on the hold due to the transformation of the local government system. Once the transformation was completed, the funds were released, sources explained.

After releasing the money, the RMC has invited tenders from contractors by February 3. Work on development schemes is expected to start from February 15. Small projects of the RMC will have a three-month deadline for completion.

Of the money released, a sum of Rs80 million has been approved for carpeting five main roads, including one near the Holy Family Hospital. At least Rs2 million have been reserved for the expansion, de-silting and cementing of embankments of a drainage stream close to the Naya Mohalla locality. This drain used to overflow in monsoon causing an urban flood in this area.

The provincial government has released over Rs20 million for laying a new sewerage system in Novelty Cinema area of Kashmiri Bazaar and carpeting of lanes in this old city area.

Moreover, RMC has been given Rs80 million to put lids on every manhole in the city, Rs22 million for the carpeting of roads in F- Block of Satellite Town, and Rs20 million each for the main roads of Military Colony, Pirwadhai, Bangash Colony and Dhok Hassu.

RMC officials say contractors have been warned against delays, besides no bill will be paid if they use substandard material. Immediate bills will also be paid for satisfactory work.

These roads, streets, drains, connecting bridges have not been repaired for the last 10 years. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2020.