RAWALPINDI: Since it closed its doors in Oct 2022 for renovations, Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi has jumped several deadlines besides three upward revisions in its cost, increasing the total cost to over Rs3.5 billion from an initial Rs1.5 billion.

One of the largest hospitals in the Potohar region, HFH has more than 1,100 beds and caters to a large number of patients from across the region. Its closure has put an additional burden on other hospitals, such as Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

During the caretaker government, then-caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi had set the deadline for the completion of work as January 30, 2024. However, the project was not completed. Only a portion was opened to start gynaecology and paediatric departments in February.

After the PML-N government came to power after Feb 8 polls, the deadline was extended to March 30 and later June 30. However, despite extensions, the Communications and Works Department could not complete the task. A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the work on the HFH project was not completed and it would take a month to hand over the building to the HFH administration.

A senior official of the hospital said they would require more than two weeks to install their equipment in different wards and the hospital would likely become functional by August if the building is handed over to the administration within a week or two.

On the other hand, a district administration official said that 90pc of the work had been completed and they only required a couple of weeks to wrap up the project. He said that the building would likely be handed over to the hospital administration soon. Speaking about the increase in the cost, he said new materials were purchased for the project which increased the price. “Due to this, the Communication and Works department demanded Rs500 million. The revised PC-I has been sent to the provincial government for approval,” he said. About the deadline, he said that some items arrived from abroad, like tempered glass, which delayed the project When contacted, Holy Family Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Butt said that the project would be completed soon and in a week or two, the works department would hand over the building to the hospital administration. “After getting possession of the building, the hospital administration will need time to make it functional by setting up surgical unit, wards, ICUs, and doctors and professors’ rooms,” he said.

Similarly, the hospital will have to install a new power line as the electricity load has increased from 2 megawatts to 5 megawatts. “The new transformers, supply lines and equipment will be installed soon before making it functional,” he said, adding that Iesco had been approached in this regard. He said that the works department informed that it imported tempered glass and other things which delayed the project, but the work was underway for installation.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024