PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has started a market survey to know cost of healthcare, gaps in the services of public and private hospitals and needs of patients before reaching agreement with an international organisation to establish a modern tertiary care hospital in Peshawar.

Officials said that the government would provide land on Ring Road to the international partner, which would build a hospital there. They said that the 500-bed hospital to be built in next three years by International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, would offer free diagnostic and treatment services to patients.

They said that establishment of the hospital was part of the WB Group’s strategy for Pakistan to support private sector development, create markets and accelerate improvement in public service delivery. The estimated cost of the project is Rs20 billion.

Officials said that the land, measuring 100 kanals, was originally acquired for establishment of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical College some two decades ago. However, it remained utilised for two decades. The present project, which is first of its kind in the county, will be executed through an international organisation. The executing international organisation will be also selected in collaboration with IFC.

Govt will provide land for the project on Ring Road

“There will be a proper data after completion of the survey. We want to know the rates of surgeries and diagnostic procedures in hospitals in Peshawar and the cost of other services for which patients travel to other cities,” said officials.

They said that market assessment was very important prior to launch of such a huge project. Information about flow of patients in OPD, operation theatre, different wards, procedures and operations carried out in medical teaching institutions and public and private hospitals will help the government to make the initiative more useful.

Once the investor is selected, the government will negotiate terms and conditions for an agreement. Three other surveys are also underway to ensure presence of the latest diagnostic and treatment services in the hospital.

“The government has decided to establish four hospitals under such arrangements. Three more hospitals, one each in Malakand, Lakki Marwat and Hazara, will also be established,” said officials.

They said that the financer, to be selected through legal process, would also earn from the investment. However, the powers to terminate the contract in case of its violation by the party concerned will rest with the government.

“The government wants the design ready by January as it is the last year of its tenure. The government wants credit for the prime project in Peshawar where population has grown by 52 per cent over the last two decades,” said officials. In addition to pandemics including coronavirus and dengue fever, patients from Afghanistan have also increased burden on healthcare facilities in the provincial capital.

Officials said that IFC would facilitate the government to carry out a ‘transparent and competitive bidding process’ to select a private sector developer and operator for the hospital.

“The first health facility in the country, to be based on the greenfield public-private partnership, will serve over 150,000 people requiring tertiary care per year,” said officials. They said that they expected organisations running hospital chains in Dubai and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to apply for bids due to their experience.

“As per existing studies, hospitals in Peshawar, the sixth largest city in Pakistan with over two million population, accommodate one-third of the total hospitalised patients in the province, so a big hospital is needed here,” they said.

Officials said that the initiative was meant to ensure accessibility of patients to quality tertiary healthcare.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2022