HARIPUR, July 6: The Works and Services Department has failed to complete construction of phase-II of the new building of the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

However, the hospital administration has, under temporary arrangements, made one of the operation theatres functional and placed beds in the vicinity of pathology, X-ray and emergency blocks to facilitate patients.Sources at the DHQ hospital said that the works department had promised to complete the building -- ICU block, 210-bed seven wards and operation theatre block -- by the end of December 2007 but it could not be completed and it sought time for completion of the building by the end of June 2008 but it could not be completed till this day.

The sources said that when the handing and taking over of phase-I was being carried out, the hospital administration pointed out 28 deficiencies in the building and the works department promised to remove the deficiencies and complete remaining portions of phase-II within a week. But it could not complete construction and finishing work of the building and again sought time till July 15 this year.

During a visit, it was observed that due to use of sub-standard material in the construction of the building, sewerage lines connected to the lavatories were out of work and sewer was gushing out of the wards and rooms.

Faulty and substandard electrical work by contractors was another critical deficiency. Officials said that due to faulty electric lines, the new x-ray unit could not be made operational and the lighting system was not according to their requirements.

Meanwhile, District Nazim Yousaf Ayub Khan held a meeting at the new hospital and reviewed progress in this regard. He took strong exception to the delay of wok on phase-II and faulty sewerage system. He asked the Works and Services Department to expedite work and ensure completion of the phase by June 15. He also approved Rs100,000 for repair and maintenance of the faulty sewerage lines.

The construction work was initiated in January 1995 and phase-1 -- comprising OPD, casualty, pathology, x-ray, ICU, 40-bed wards and medicines departments -- was scheduled to be completed and made operational by June 1998 and rest of work on remaining two phases was to be carried out gradually after making the first phase functional.

But the provincial health department decided to complete the DHQ in one go and revised the PC-1 of the second phase in June 2003 and a sum of Rs112.03 million was earmarked for the remaining work and timeline for its completion was extended to June 2005. The partially completed first phase of the facility was not made operational owing numerous reasons.

The cost of the remaining work was again revised in 2006 from Rs112.03 million to Rs199.818 million and completion date was fixed as June 30 2007. The cost of the remaining work was also revised upward from Rs199.818 million to Rs248.212 million in January 2008.