RAWALPINDI, May 21: Punjab government set another deadline for the completion of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) and asked the local administration to complete the construction work by the end of June.

The construction work on Rs2.6 billion worth of the project is almost one year behind schedule. The 270-bed RIC project was approved in October 2009 and the construction work was started in June 2010 and it was supposed to be completed by June 2011.

While inaugurating the construction work, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had promised that the project would be completed in a year but the slow pace of work made it impossible.

The sources told Dawn the Punjab Health Department had failed to purchase the equipment and recruit employees and doctors for the hospital.

“The construction work is slow as the local authorities have failed to construct the sewerage system in the building and the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) has sought Rs80 million from the provincial government for the purpose,” they said.

Sources further said the government released Rs20 million for the construction of sewerage system at the hospital and promised to provide the remaining amount during next fiscal year 2012-13.

After receiving the funds, Commissioner Imdadullah Bosal called a meeting of district officials on Monday to review the progress of the construction work. MNA Hanif Abbasi informed the meeting that the provincial government wanted to complete the project by June 30.

Newly appointed RIC Medical Superintendent Dr Shoaib Khan informed the meeting that for the convenience of the patients and their attendants, four more lifts would be installed in the hospital and the work would be started on May 28.

He said the installation of air conditioning system would be completed and the natural gas and electricity connections would also be obtained soon as the administration had already submitted applications in this regard. The commissioner directed the local administration to speed up the work to meet the deadline.