Orangi hospital project stuck in limbo

250-bed facility approved in 2012 reduced to 100 beds, but incomplete structure now lies abandoned

KARACHI:

A healthcare project meant to transform medical services for the residents of Orangi Town has remained unfinished for 14 years, with the proposed 250-bed hospital still awaiting completion despite millions of rupees allocated for its construction.

The hospital was approved by the Sindh government in 2012 under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), with Rs450.579 million allocated for the project. However, construction was delayed for nearly a decade for unknown reasons, leaving the project stalled for years.

Around five years ago, the Sindh Health Department revised the scheme and reduced the hospital's capacity from 250 beds to 100 beds. Construction finally began about two years ago, but only the boundary wall, main gate and a few rooms have been completed so far.

After the incomplete construction work, health department officials allegedly abandoned the site, resulting in repeated incidents of theft. Residents have submitted a written complaint to the relevant police station over the security situation at the abandoned facility.

According to official details, the hospital was planned in Orangi Town Sector 4, Mominabad, to provide healthcare facilities to local residents. The original project included an emergency department, medical and surgical units, paediatrics, gynaecology, ICU and a modern laboratory.

The project's total allocation of Rs450.579 million was included in the budget book, with Rs324.053 million earmarked for construction and Rs126.526 million estimated as revenue. Despite reducing the hospital's capacity from 250 to 100 beds, the project cost remained unchanged.

The facility, named Benazir Bhutto General Hospital Mominabad, was approved on February 20, 2013. After 14 years, only partial structures have been built, and the absence of security staff has reportedly turned the site into a hotspot for unidentified individuals.

Area resident Abdul Haleem said the hospital was named after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but remained incomplete due to alleged negligence by health department officials. He questioned the status of medical equipment and machinery meant for the facility and demanded an inquiry into the prolonged delay.

Private doctors practising in Orangi Town also questioned why the project had not been completed despite the allocated funds, urging authorities to explain the delay and ensure the hospital becomes operational.