ISLAMABAD: The Frontier Works Organization (FWO) is constructing Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC), a project worth Rs600 million, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) on turnkey basis as part of the national effort for containment of the COVID-19.

According to the ISPR, the earth breaking of said facility was done by Prime Minister Imran Khan on 26 March 2020 and the project would be completed by May 5, 2020.

The construction of 250 bedded prefabricated state-of-the-art hospital is in the process in Islamabad, which would be used to treat not only coronavirus-infected patients under best available equipment and medication but also be available for treatment of other infectious diseases.

Construction work on the project is in full swing and would be completed within 35 days.

The construction teams of the FWO are working round the clock, ensuring proper anti-corona precautions for the complete workforce, in a bid to hand over this hospital for its operationalisation by 5 May 2020. An FWO official, while talking to Business Recorder said the project was the need of time and was quite feasible as they were using prefab material, could be transferred or could be used later for a normal hospital too. He said the project cost estimation was Rs600 million, which had been funded by the Chinese government and land used for the hospital was 40 kanal, which had been provided by the federal government.—NUZHAT NAZAR