K-P to form KICH Board after upgrade

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to appoint a new Board of Governors for the province's only children's hospital, the Khyber Institute of Child Health (KICH) in Hayatabad, following its recent upgrade to the status of a Medical Teaching Institution (MTI).

The summary for the nomination of board members has been sent to the chief minister for approval.

Sources revealed that KICH has been mired in delays for over 12 years. Initially, the hospital suffered from a lack of federal funding. However, the provincial government has now arranged funds to complete the project.

Despite this, civil works have faced setbacks, and even after payments were made eight years ago, the hospital remained entangled between the Works & Services Department and contractors. The C&W Department had requested an additional month for testing and completion, even though the government had planned to open the hospital for children in December.

According to sources, 80 per cent of the hospital's construction has been completed over the past 12 years. Work on the 290-bed facility, started in 2013, was initially expected to be completed by 2016. The original total cost of the project was Rs2.2 billion, later revised in 2020 and 2021 due to rising costs, ultimately reaching Rs9.7 billion, while the government released only Rs5.2 billion. The completion deadline was extended to June 2023, but funding shortages continued to hinder progress.

The hospital's development was plagued by funding gaps, first from the federal government under the PSDP and later from the provincial government. Nevertheless, bio-medical gas systems, a modular operating theatre, internal sewerage, and heating and cooling systems up to the fourth floor have now been installed.

Once operational, the hospital will provide emergency OPD services, diagnostic and radiology facilities, pediatric surgery, and all sub-specialties of pediatric medicine. Work is also underway to introduce fetal surgery, bone marrow and kidney transplants, and pediatric urology.