Expo Centre seeks rent for quarantine facility
Punjab Health Department has declined to pay Rs550 million rent of the Expo Centre over its use as a field hospital and quarantine centre for Covid-19 patients.
However, the department has shown willingness to pay gas and electricity bills for three months.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Friday, “The government is utilising the Expo Centre premises in the public interest and it is not a rented building.”
The Expo Centre administration had sent a letter to the health ministry for the payment of Rs550 million for the field hospital and quarantine facility established by the department on the premises.
High dependency unit set up at Expo Centre in Karachi
The health minister said that under the Punjab Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Ordinance 2020, neither any extravagance was witnessed, nor any rent was due to any organisation.
“The government opened the Expo Centre Field Hospital to facilitate patients after the declaration of coronavirus as an international health emergency.”
“The procurement process was undertaken transparently in accordance with the applicable rules,” she said.
“The government had banned all private functions in March 2020 and all banquets centres and marriage halls as well as the Expo Centre were closed for public gatherings.” “The district administration converted the Expo Centre premises into a field hospital in compliance with a decision taken by the government on an emergency basis.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2020.