Fate of proposed asthma centre and diabetic hospital in Bogra is in limbo as the Ministry of Health has not handed over the allocated lands to Public Works Department (PWD), four years after issuance of work orders by the latter.
Following initiative by the Ministry of Health, the PWD Bogra Division invited tender for construction of a 100-bed asthma centre at Nisindara and a 100-bed diabetic hospital at Banani near Bogra town in December 2006, said Md Abdul Goffar, executive engineer of PWD, Bogra.
The PWD in March 2007 issued work order for construction of the asthma centre under a Tk 11.07 crore project while another work order for construction of the diabetic hospital under a Tk 4.01 crore project was issued on October 9 in 2007, he said.
As the health ministry allocated the fund, the Bogra PWD sent several letters to hand over the lands for starting construction of the two 100-bed hospitals but the ministry is yet to do it, PWD officials said.
Against the backdrop of non-utilisation of the early instalments of the funds for the projects, the PWD office in Bogra has already refunded Tk 1.50 crore and sent several letters to the health ministry to drop the asthma centre project.
“At least three letters were sent from the superintending engineer's office of the PWD to the health ministry from January 2009 to May 2010, to drop the 100-bed asthma centre project due to price hike of construction materials and non-availability of land,” said Md Abdul Goffar.
They also wrote to the health ministry for a clear-cut decision about the diabetic hospital project as the work could not be started due to lack of land for last four years.
"The projects were taken about five years ago without any proper planning. About one year ago, I joined a high level meeting in the office of the Director General (Health) about asthma centre project but the matter is yet to be finalised,” said Dr Md Abdul Hoque, civil surgeon of Bogra.
The PWD issued a Tk 11.07 crore work order in March 2007 in favour of Toma Construction Company Ltd and Kabir Traders to start the work in joint venture but the ministry is yet to hand over the land or allow starting the construction there. The construction firm has already claimed Tk 38.88 lakh as compensation for delay of decision.
Another joint venture construction company MKS claimed Tk 26.33 lakh as compensation for the same reason. On October 9 in 2007, the firm was given Tk 4.01 crore work order to construct 100-bed diabetic hospital on the premises of Electro-medical Workshop at Banani in Shahjahanpur upazila, adjacent to Bogra town.