RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PPDWP) approved five development schemes of different sectors with an estimated cost of Rs 5585.787 million.

The approval of schemes were accorded in the 60th meeting of PPDWP of current fiscal year 2016-17 presided over by the Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan. Members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments also attended the meeting.

The approved development schemes included: comprehensive urban water supply & sewerage scheme Jauharabad, Khushab (revised) at the cost of Rs 586.988 million, conservation of Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore at the cost of Rs 533.057 million, feasibility and designing for development of recreational resort along River Indus at Attock Khurd at the cost of Rs 13.540 million, construction of energy resources centre (PC-II) at the cost of Rs 1520.162 million and construction of Surgical Tower at Mayo Hospital, Lahore at the cost of Rs 2932.040 million.

Sources claimed that the first PC-I of the Surgical Tower at Mayo Hospital, Lahore was prepared and approved in 2004. Later, the PC-I was revised in 2005, 2011 and 2012, respectively.

As per 2012-revised PC-I, an amount of Rs 983.8 million was allocated for the building construction and Rs 712 million for equipment procurement.

Originally, the approved bed strength of the Surgical Tower was 344. It was later enhanced to 521. The total estimated covered area of the five-storey building was 25,3041 sq ft that also included a huge basement, the sources said.

Due to non-release of funds, the sources claimed the project is being delayed for the last about 13 years. Now with the release of funds of Rs 2932.040 million, it is expected that this project is expected to be completed by 2018.

The five-storey Surgical Tower at Mayo Hospital is being constructed to bring various units of a discipline under one roof has been awaiting funds for its completion. The proposed Surgical Tower would house 16 modern operation theatres, isolation wards, surgical ICUs, Day Care Surgery, offices of consultants and other doctors etc. Costly equipment like CT-Scan, MRI and X-ray machines were also part of the project. It was considered a ‘model scheme’ when the idea of housing all the units of one discipline – surgery – in a single building was floated by experts to facilitate work of surgeons of various departments of the largest teaching hospital of the province.

The number of trauma, accident and other emergency cases brought to the hospital was alarmingly high as compared to any other state-run health facility. The project envisaged ‘a small hospital within a major hospital’, official said.

Nevertheless, the delay in the construction of project has resulted in additional fiscal burden on the national exchequer. In addition, the procurement and installation of the equipment will also take time to make the Surgical Tower fully operational for the patients, the sources claimed.