The initial total cost of the project was Rs 2.2 billion, later revised in 2020 and 2021, and ultimately reached Rs 9.7 billion.
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to appoint a new board for the province’s only children’s hospital, the Khyber Institute of Child Health (KICH) in Hayatabad, following its recent upgrade to the status of a Medical Teaching Institution (MTI).
The summary for the nomination of board members has been sent to the Prime Minister for approval.
Sources revealed that KICH has been mired in delays for over 12 years. Initially, the hospital suffered from a lack of federal funding. However, the provincial government has now arranged funds to complete the project.
Despite this, construction work has faced setbacks and even after payments were made eight years ago, the hospital remained embroiled between the Works & Services Department and contractors. The C&W department had requested an extra month for testing and completion even though the government had planned to open the hospital for children in December.
According to sources, 80 percent of the hospital’s construction has been completed over the past 12 years. Work on the 290-bed facility, which started in 2013, was initially expected to be completed in 2016. The initial total cost of the project was Rs 2.2 billion, later revised in 2020 and 2021 due to rising costs, and ultimately reached Rs 9.7 billion, while the government released only Rs 5.2 billion. The completion deadline was extended to June 2023, but a lack of funding continued to hinder progress.
The hospital’s development was plagued by funding shortfalls, first from the federal government under the PSDP and later from the provincial government. Nevertheless, biomedical gas systems, a modular operating theater, internal sewerage and heating and cooling systems up to the fourth floor have now been installed.
Once operational, the hospital will provide emergency OPD services, diagnostic and radiology facilities, pediatric surgery and all subspecialties of pediatric medicine. Efforts are also being made to introduce fetal surgery, bone marrow and kidney transplants and pediatric urology.
