Peshawar children’s hospital launch hinges on release of promised funds

PESHAWAR: The planned opening of the 300-bed Peshawar Children Hospital, attached to the Khyber Institute of Child Health (KICH), may face further delay if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government does not release the promised bridge financing by the end of next month, according to officials in the provincial health department.

The provincial government declared KICH a medical teaching institution in December and also announced a board of governors to expedite the launch of what is described as the province’s first specialised children’s hospital. Despite that move, the facility has yet to become operational because of funding constraints.

A senior health department official said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had assured the release of the required funds by June 15. He said the hospital could begin receiving patients in July if the commitment was honoured, but otherwise the project would remain uncertain.

The same official said the government had already released Rs352 million for hiring staff, but the board of governors had not proceeded with recruitment because bringing in employees before the hospital becomes functional would place an unnecessary burden on the budget. He said preparations for interviews and appointments were complete, but the process was being held back to avoid spending large sums on salaries before the hospital can begin work.

Funds linked to equipment purchase

When contacted, board chairman Dr Mohammad Rafiq said he expected the early release of Rs2.1 billion in bridge financing from the provincial government. He explained that since the project is being financed by the federal government, the amount released later would be transferred to the provincial exchequer.

Dr Rafiq said the requested funds were needed for the purchase of equipment. He added that key positions had already been advertised, but hiring staff without the necessary medical equipment would serve little purpose.

According to Dr Rafiq, the pre-interview scrutiny and scoring process has already been completed, and once funding is made available, interviews and staff selection could be finished within a week.

Health department officials said that if the money is not released in June, the government’s earlier commitment would amount to no more than a political statement and the project would remain stuck. They said the release of funds would allow immediate placement of supply orders for equipment, as tendering, bidding and supplier identification had already been completed. They added that deliveries would take one to two months, while recruitment could move ahead during that period.

Paediatric association presses for early opening

The Pakistan Paediatric Association has for a long time been calling for immediate funding for the hospital, saying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province without a dedicated children’s hospital. The association says such a facility would provide specialised treatment for children and serve as a central hub for child health services in the province.

A senior PPA member said KICH would help train existing staff in hospitals across KP and would also produce paediatricians in sub-specialties. He said many specialists from the province were currently working elsewhere in the country, while families with financial means often had to take children outside KP for treatment.

He added that qualified paediatric oncologists, urologists, neonatologists and gastroenterologists from KP were working in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, and said the opening of the hospital in Peshawar could create opportunities for them to serve in their home province while also helping train local doctors.