Schemes of NHSR ministry: Senate body conditionally approves 36 projects

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations on Tuesday unanimously conditionally approved 36 projects under the ongoing Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations.

The committee meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Senator Dr Muhammad Humayun Mohmand to have a detailed discussion regarding the scrutinisation of the PSDP proposed by the Ministry of National Health Services for the next financial year 2023-2024.

The committee members, while thoroughly discussing the proposed projects gave their suggestions and recommendations pertaining to the different schemes of the ministry.

The committee was briefed in detail on the status of various projects under the PSDP, including cost, duration, throw forward, and projected demand. The committee after a threadbare discussion unanimously approved 36 ongoing projects conditionally. The committee decided to visit the ongoing projects in August this year to learn about their status after completion.

The ministry officials failed to satisfy the panel with its proposed 14 new projects for the year 2023-2024. The panel showed displeasure over the non-provision of the details of the new projects and asked the ministry to provide the list of projects priority-wise with full details in the next meeting. The committee also showed intent to call representatives of the Pakistan Works Department (PWD) in the next meeting.

The committee was also informed about the schemes related to the installation and operation of MRI machines in different government hospitals in the capital. It was told that the scheme related to the instalment of an MRI machine worth 1.5 million US dollars at NIRM will be completed by 30 June 2023. The panel showed annoyance over the delay in the installation of the MRI Machine at NIRM.

Representatives from PIMS also apprised the Committee that an MRI at PIMS will be functional in March next month while at PolyClinic hospital an MRI will become operational in two months in a view to upgrading the Radiology department at Polyclinic with the assistance of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).

The representatives of DHO while numbering their schemes/projects informed that the 7.5 million Saudi Riyal project of establishing King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud hospital at Taralai, Islamabad has been stuck up due to design and modalities issues.

They informed the committee that two years have been wasted in the finalisation of consultancy and that the Saudi officials were also not happy with the previous layout. Now the re-evaluated design of the hospital will be discussed with the Saudi officials on 7th March 2023.

Concluding the meeting, the chairman committee showed his intent to revisit and review the status of the ongoing projects most of which will be completed as on 30 June 2023 of the ministry in August 2023. In view to address the prevalent matters of different hospitals in the capital, the committee decided to start visiting hospitals from March 2023 to check their status and condition and give suggestions for the improvement thereof.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023