Rawalpindi: Construction of ramp at Benazir Hospital delayed

[Naveed Yaseen]

by Muhammad Qasim
The construction work on a ramp at Accident and Emergency Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital could not be finalised so far despite tall claims made by provincial building department and the hospital administration that it would be completed in September last year.

The provincial building department had started construction work on the ramp in the beginning of April last year. At that time, the hospital administration claimed that work on it would be completed before June 2008. However during June, the hospital administration claimed that the ramp would be completed in August and fully functional in September.

“The building department has not handed over ramp to the hospital as yet, however, construction work on it is in final stages,” said Additional Medical Superintendent (Works) at the BBH Dr. Shahid Raza Butt while talking to ‘The News’.

Emergency patients have to suffer daily due to unavailability of ramp at the A&E department of the hospital. Moreover hospital staffers face difficulties in moving emergency patients from ground floor to the first floor.

According to the hospital administration, the construction of ramp would cost Rs3.675 million.

“Plastering of walls of the under-construction ramp is in progress and I hope that the building department would hand it over to the hospital next month,” said Dr. Butt while responding to a query.

However another official at the BBH, Shafiq, who is dealing with almost all ongoing schemes in the hospital, when contacted, said that the building department has taken time till June 2009 for completion of construction work on the ramp. “The building department wants to consult the concerned architect on installation of a lift and it would take time,” he said.

‘The News’ tried to contact BBH Medical Superintendent Dr. Zaman Khan Niazi several times on Saturday to know the actual status of the scheme but he was not available for comments.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=165207