BBH’s uplift plans hit a snag

Provincial govt turns down request for Rs3 billion

RAWALPINDI:

The Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) Rawalpindi will not receive an upgrade as planned after the provincial

government turned down requests for development projects of more than Rs3 billion.

One of the main public sector healthcare providers in the garrison city, the hospital has 968 beds and 15 departments including emergency, out-patient department (OPD), and operation theatres. It had sought an equipment upgrade, infrastructure boost, and staff increase and facility expansion in various projects pitched for the current financial year. They were turned down by the Punjab government.

The hospital, renamed as BBH in memory of the former prime minister who breathed her last there following an assassination attempt, has been in dire need of improvement. Among other things, it suffers from a shortage of space, human resources, and equipment due to the unusually high volume of patients.

In light of these, a development scheme of Rs500 million was devised to completely replace all electro-medical equipment. According to the hospital administration, it was for the equipment that had reached the end of its operational life. Another project included the development of a multi-towered trauma centre worth Rs1 billion. It would have included a diagnostic centre and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine worth Rs1 billion.

It sought Rs150 million for the renovation and upkeep of the first floor and the psychiatric department, Another Rs250 million was requested for the maintenance of the hospital building. These development schemes were also not authorised.

Dr Tahir Rizvi, the medical superintendent at the hospital, said that the hospital's electro-medical devices are still in use despite reaching the end of their intended lifespan. This impacts their efficiency and results in ongoing maintenance costs, he added.

He said that the hospital offers CT scan machines but plans for the diagnostic centre's development had to be taken into account so for an MRI machine.

The MS pointed out that the hospital was already catering to patients from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Now, they were also receiving patients from other areas resulting in a persistent increase in patient turnover.

Now, it has become necessary to enlarge each hospital department in order to raise its capacity and improve the effectiveness of the healthcare delivery system, Dr Rizvi added.

He said the administration had to delay operations since there weren’t enough beds available compared to the number of patients. It causes an unnecessary burden on resources for the patient and could also jeopardises their well-being, he concluded.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2023.