Re-arranging ground-breaking for sunken patio at KTH triggers questions

PESHAWAR: The members of Board of Governors (BoGs) of the Khyber Teaching Hospital on Wednesday again arranged the groundbreaking ceremony of sunken patio for the under-construction basement in the hospital which had already been done two months ago, said faculty members on Thursday.

According to the faculty members, the KTH administration arranged the groundbreaking ceremony to oblige a BoGs member Dr Shahjehan Khan.

They said the area to the basement was opened almost two months ago, though it was delayed for more than two years as the board of governors and the hospital administration failed to get it vacated from an international private canteen owner. Dr Shahjehan was accompanied by acting Hospital Director Dr Zafar Afridi, Medical Director Prof Dr Irshad Ahmed, Chairman medicine department Prof Dr Muhammad Humayun, Chairman Anaesthesia Dept Prof Dr Parhaizgar, Chairman ENT Dept Prof Dr Arif Reza, Director Nursing Rehmat Ullah, Director Finance Riaz Ali Khan, Director P&D Shafiullah, faculty members and managerial staff at the groundbreaking.

According to the faculty members, they would appreciate if the BOG and the hospital administration display courage and open the western side and provide entrance to the basement.

The faculty members said providing entrance to the basement was delayed by an influential canteen owner and he enjoyed support some members in the hospital board. “Will you believe me, some of the BoG members backed the canteen owner and delayed this entrance to the basement for more than two years,” said senior administration official.

Pleading anonymity, he said it is widely believed that neither the BoG nor the hospital administration would be able to open the western side of the entrance to the basement, saying the canteen owner is stated to be influential enough to replace officials considered a potential threat to his business in the hospital.

He said it was an honourable judge of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Justice Qaisar Rasheed who during his visit to the hospital had taken note of this long-delayed project and entrances to the basement and ordered an immediate opening to the basement. “There are credible reports that the canteen owner had brought his blue-eyed people to the key positions in the hospital administration who had a long association of working together.

And now in the presence of the KTH administration and some BoG members, it seems quite hard the western entrance to the basement would be opened where millions of funds had been spent on rooms and offices to

shift all the outpatient departments,” said an official of the KTH administration.

The sunken patio is on both sides of the main entrance of KTH and has 16’ wide ramp & 12’ stairs. According to the officials, the basement would accommodate 92 OPDs and 500 attendants in the waiting area.

The basic function of sunken patio is to provide sunlight, ventilation and access to the basement from the main gate of the KTH. In a statement issued by the KTH administration said access to the basement from the main gate is necessary as OPDs have been established in the basement under the project renovation, repair, beautification and refurbishment.

At present, the basement has access from three points i.e. one ramp from the casualty side & stairs at two points from the ground floor. The basement is also connected with ground and first floor through an existing lift which is in operational condition.