Summary of Cardiac Surgery Complex project of Chandka Hospital pending with Sindh CM

RATODERO, Sindh, The summary of one of the major projects of largest teaching hospital of Southern Sindh is pending approval of the Sindh Chief Minister since long. Sindh government had approved new project of establishing 32-bed Faryal Talpur Cardiac Surgery Complex at the Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, at the cost of Rs.290.517 million (capital Rs.51.123 & revenue 239.394 million).

Out of these thirty-two beds, six will be used as Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the rest for the wards.

Health Department, Karachi, sources disclosed to PPI that the summary is pending owing to fact that the MNA Faryal Talpur wants to change the name of the project and the proposed names under consideration are Bilawal, Bakhtawar or Asifa Bhutto-Zardari but it is yet to be finalized and thereafter the summary will be approved and funds released.

The PC-1 of the project was approved during 2010-11 but funds could not be released due to financial constraints. It may be mentioned here that operations to be conducted at this complex include Angiography, Angioplasty and open-surgery (bypass). The facility of these operations is not available in government run hospitals of Sindh except Karachi. The suffering poor patients of Balochistan and lower part of Punjab besides Sindh will greatly benefit from this project as they are presently forced to travel to Karachi incurring extra expenditure on traveling, lodging & boarding.

When this Correspondent talked to various Larkana district PPP office bearers they replied on condition of not disclosing their identity for fear of high command said that the name of the project should be Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Cardiac Surgery Complex as according to them the Chandka Medical College and Hospital was established by PPP founder during his government and we should not forget his services for the people of Larkana. They urged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to immediately approve the pending summary and direct Finance Department to place all required funds at the disposal of concerned authorities of the Chandka Hospital so that the project is completed and made functional well on time as it is already late by over one & half a year.