KOHAT: Patients suffer as delay in revising the budget allocated for reconstruction of the Liaquat Memorial Hospital due to cost escalations has stalled the work on the project.

The half-demolished building of the hospital is functioning without a proper nursery, orthopaedic and surgery wards.

“The nursery has been shifted to the conference room, while women patients are referred to KDA Teaching Hospital,” said Dr Gule Rana, the hospital’s former medical superintendent.

“The government is not ready to revise the budget allocations of Rs1.2 billion, which was approved in 2018 for hospital’s reconstruction. The cost has now escalated to Rs2 billion,” an engineer told Dawn on condition of anonymity.

The work on hospital was inaugurated by former chief minister Pervez Khattak. But incumbent Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, acting on the advice of a local MPA, cancelled the contract, and directed the communication and works department to reopen fresh tenders during his visit to Kohat in March 2022.

However, after lapse of months the tenders are still awaited apparently due to budgetary constraints.

ANP OLD GUARDS: The Awami National Party has launched a movement to bring its old guard back into the party fold for strengthening it in Kohat.

ANP senior vice-president Raheem Khan and another leader, Shah Faisal, while speaking at a function held in Kalo China Banda area on Friday, admitted that the party could not move forward without support of old workers.

They said Pakhtuns had no other option other than ANP for resolution of their problems and getting their due rights. They claimed that only ANP had been fighting for rights of Pakhtuns.

They said the party was struggling for establishing durable peace in the land of Pakhtuns.

They said those who were not active in the party for one or the other reason were still attached to the philosophy of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2022