KARACHI: Construction work of 400-bed Gulshan-e-Iqbal Hospital has not finished as yet despite the passage of more than eight years due to lethargic attitude of Sindh Government. The project has been delayed again and again due to apathy of the Sindh Works and Services Department and the concerned contractor, who are said to be hand in glove. The ground plus three storied building of the hospital is divided in several blocks. The construction work of Block-A, Block-B and Block-C has almost completed. However, the construction of Block-D and Block-E is yet in initial stage, and so is the construction of the administrative block. Sources in Sindh Health Department told PPI that the construction work of 400-bed Gulshan-e-Iqbal Hospital, Karachi, at NIPA Flyover was started on May 19, 2009 with cost of Rs436.356million and it was supposed to be completed in 2012-13 but the PC-I of project was revised on May 15, 2014 again with an increased cost Rs1736.359million. After the increased cost the project was likely to be completed in the end of 2016 but only 50 to 55 per cent work had been done so far due to the slow pace of work. The ex-Health Minister Sindh Mehtab Hussain Dahar had given December 2016 as deadline to the concerned contractor for completion of the project during his tenure but only 50 to 55 per cent construction work has been completed so far as the health department bureaucracy is showering the contractor with one favour after another, said the sources. Now, the project is likely to be completed in the end of 2018 or mid of 2019 if the speed of construction work is not further slowed, they said. The sources said that some big private hospitals operating in Gulshan and surrounding areas are not happy with a 400-bed government-run general hospital in the vicinity as it would surely dent their lucrative business. The sources further said Provincial Minister for Health Dr Sikandar Mandhro and Secretary Health Sindh Dr Fazlullah Pechuho have decided to convert this general hospital into an Institute Of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation after the completion project. Director Health Services, Karachi, Dr Tahir Aziz Sheikh was not available for comments. Published in Daily Times, December 12th 2017.