Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS) requires funds of Rs one billion for the procurement of equipment needed to complete its construction at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH).

The department has been under-construction for ten years and needs funding to enter the final phase. The administration of LGH fears that if the construction of phase III does not start until next financial year, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) of all 10 storeys along with four lifts would not be operational.

In the first two phases, construction of a 10-storey building was completed with a cost of Rs 2.35 billion and now the partially functional institute needs another Rs 1 billion in the third phase on order to make the building fully functional.

Well-placed sources told Daily Times that establishment of a dedicated institute for neurology was suggested by some prominent neurosurgeons over a decade ago with a view to reduce the burden on LGH, a teaching hospital taking neurology cases not only from Lahore, but from across the country. The institute would deal in 10 disciplines, including neurosurgery, neurology, neurophysiology, neuropathology, paediatric surgery, spinal surgery, anaesthesia, radiology and speech therapy.

Other facilities included parking for 100 cars in two basements, four neurosurgery units (50-bed each), three high dependency units (three beds each), a state-of-the-art spinal unit (the only such facility in public sector), eight well-equipped modern operation theatres, a skill lab and conference room with a capacity to accommodate
500 guests.

The PINS is one of the biggest state-of-the-art health institute in the region, which was conceived in 2006-07 and was planned to be executed into two phases. The capital portion of phase-II comprised of 10-storey building including two basements, HVAC, four lifts, electric substation, revenue component to operationalise two emergency theatres and 100-bedded emergency wards on ground floor. The Planning and Development Department (PDWP) had approved a revised scheme on January 27, 2015, amounting Rs 2,354.3 million for phase-II.

Source said after completion of phase II, a new PC-1 submitted by administration of LGH to Punjab government stated that the phase-III was meant for the remaining seven floors of the building including eight theatres for elective surgery, academic block, wards, HDUs and ICU, adding facility for 350 more in-patient admissions.

The allocation of Rs 444.768 million in 2016-17 would make the neurosurgery units (I, II, III), spinal unit, neurosurgery high dependency unit (HDU-I, II, III), paediatric neurosurgery unit, neuropsychiatry department, physiotherapy department, auditorium, lecture hall, skill development laboratory and six out of eight remaining elective theatres functional.

A document stated that Rs 379.492 million would be spent in next financial year with the procurement plan, which would be initiated in July 2017, while provided funds would be utilised in first half of the financial year 2017-18 for modular operation room, ICU, central sterilisation supply department (CSSD), PINS IT system, neuron diagnostic management information, system networking, and installation of a CCTV security camera system.