CBC abandons medical college project

Under-construction building to be converted into 'profitable entity'

LAHORE:

The Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) has abandoned the Cantonment Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) project after the completion of 35 per cent of construction work. The foundation for the CIMS on adjoining 100- kanal land of Al-Shifa Eye Trust was laid in 2019 and it was supposed to be completed for Rs1 billion. After the abandonment of the project, the under-construction building will be used for a lucrative purpose.

The decision to do away with the medical college was taken at the first board meeting of the elected representatives chaired by Cantonment Board President Brig Salman Nazar held on November 25. Cantonment vice president chaudhry Changez, 12 each elected and nominated members and Chief Executive Officer Wasim Shahid attended the meeting. The participants of the meeting were told that the total cost of the project was Rs1.10 billion with Rs530 million as the construction cost in the first phase and the CCB was responsible for its construction. Later, the cost and related expenditures on the project were to be borne and shared equally by all cantonment boards.

Sources said that the project did not meet the parameters of the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC). It was also learnt that the services of a medical consultant were not taken for the project, which was mandatory under the PMC rules. The meeting participants were informed that the project might not get accreditation from the PMC after completion as its design was not in accordance with the PMC parameters. These included separate hostels for boys and girls, the size of the building and different components including different departments.

The participants were apprised that monitoring by a medical consultant was also necessary during each phase of the construction process, however, it was not followed. The CIMS was supposed to be linked with Cantonment General Hospital Saddar as a teaching college. The participants were informed that the cantonment board will not be able to run the project after completion due to incurring expenditures. The cantonment board, being a civic body under Cantonment Act 1924, is only responsible for the provision of facilities to the citizens while it was not responsible for providing tertiary medical education.

The board unanimously approved it and decided to convert the building into a profitable use for better provision of facilities to the citizens