Khyber Teaching Hospital’s Rs1.372 billion project substandard: PIT report

PESHAWAR: Serious irregularities, poor quality and substandard work have been revealed in the Rs1.372 billion building project of Khyber Teaching Hospital.

The Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) has declared the project a good example of bad planning/design, poor execution by the consultant and negligent supervision by the C&W Department. PIT has submitted its report to KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and recommended action against a C&W executive engineer, four sub-divisional engineers and three sub-engineers. Action has also been recommended against consultants and contractors on violation of agreement. The chief minister has approved the report and directed the chief secretary to take necessary action as per the recommendations of PIT report.

According to the report, Khyber Teaching Hospital’s accident and emergency building project began in 2011-12 and was completed in June 2017 but it is still physically incomplete even after exhausting the funds almost three years ago. Number of items is yet to be installed, tested and commissioned, due to which formal handing/taking over of the building could not be done between C&W Department and hospital authorities. A hefty amount of Rs 1.372 billion has been spent on the building, which is 95% over and above the original estimated cost of Rs672.13 million and it speaks volumes of poor estimation.

Objections of the hospital management were found true to the extent that heating/ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system is faulty and incomplete without Building Management System (IIMS), dumbwaiters are lying uninstalled due to absence of shaft, lift/elevators are undersized and cannot accommodate patients’ beds, ceiling fans are not according to PC-I quantity, faulty and incomplete sewerage/drainage system has been built and aluminum windows are without wire gauze.

PIT also observed that defective civil work in OTs have been carried out even so much so that upper portion of OTs walls above false ceiling was not plastered, acoustic miller fiber false ceiling procured on huge cost was found damaged, sanitary installation were of substandard quality, rubber mat sheets on the ramp were found broken, automatic sliding doors were substandard/below specifications and leakage was found in HVAC plant room roof.

The consultant failed to fulfill their contractual obligations as per relevant contract agreement. C&W Department did not perform their official duties with respect to top supervision of the construction work as well as performance of the consultant. Additionally, the hospital authorities have prematurely occupied the new building which is not yet complete and needs massive rectification work and that too with formal handing/taking over.

Provincial Inspection Team has recommended necessary action against M/s Shaz consultant as per relevant agreement and other rules/regulations for not fulfilling their contractual obligations. Moreover, PIT recommended strict action against the officers/officials of C&W Department concerned for slackness in performing their official duties.

Action as per relevant contract agreement is recommended against contractors of civil work for their failure to perform work as per approved specifications and standards. The contractor of the lift/elevator is allowed to change existing cabin with new one of size 1400 mm (W) x 2500 mm (L) without any additional cost. According to this report, all the contractors should be instructed to immediately start the leftover work as well as rectification work.