Work stoppage leaves Pindi hospital in limbo

Public outcry as state-of-the-art 100-bed medical facility languishes in incompletion

RAWALPINDI:

The newly constructed state-of-the-art 100-bed general hospital in Chakri Jorian, Rawalpindi remains incomplete and closed for public access.

The hospital was a megaproject worth Rs500 million that had been initiated during former premier Imran Khan’s tenure in September 2021 and was being overseen by former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

Although 90% of the hospital’s construction work, which includes its building, has been completed, the remaining work, which was scheduled to be completed by December 31, has been halted. The three-storey facility that is built on 93 kanals of land still needs to have doors fitted into their frames, but the contractor is reported to have already been forced to pack up equipment and leave the construction site. The hospital’s building structure without doors has become a roosting place for dogs, cats and bats.

The government has also withdrawn funds for the project, which means its cost is likely to increase the longer it is delayed. The local population has been protesting the suspension of the work that was being done for the project.

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Former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said: “This hospital was to be named General Hospital. It is a public welfare project, and work on it should be resumed immediately. The caretaker government must inaugurate the hospital.”

The hospital would prove to be highly beneficial for the public. One reason is, its location near the motorway, which means it can provide immediate care to injured victims of traffic accidents. Currently, the injured are taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Rawalpindi, which is 15 kilometres away.

The hospital plan includes an emergency department and an outpatient department (OPD), alongside a gynaecology department and a children’s ward. It also has five operation theatres. The situation of all departments under one roof was meant to lessen the burden of other hospitals in Rawalpindi.

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According to a local resident, “Around 0.25 million residents in the area would benefit from the hospital’s facilities.”

The unfinished state of the hospital not only disrupts essential healthcare services but also poses financial risks. If the construction delay continues, the cost of construction materials is expected to surge by an additional Rs50 to Rs100 million.

In light of the potential benefits the hospital could bring to the community and its current state of abandonment, locals and authorities are urging swift action to resume and complete the construction of the much-needed healthcare facility.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2023.