The Punjab government has abandoned Fatima Jinnah Institute of Dental Sciences project after spending millions of rupees from the provincial exchequer, depriving people of a crucial health facility, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Fatima Jinnah Institute of Dental Sciences is an extension of the De Montmorency College of Dentistry–the only public-sector dental institute in the provincial metropolis established in 1930 by the British. The dental institute and the hospital, built on 10 acres, with a projected capacity to produce 100 dentists every year, was the Punjab government’s first initiative to build a state-of-the-art dental institute in the provincial capital since partition.
According to sources, the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Fatima Jinnah Institute of Dental Sciences has a total approved cost of Rs 3 billion, out of which Rs 500 million has already been spent. They said that the project was approved by the previous government in 2008 and it was to be completed within three years. But despite completion of the said period and utilising millions of rupees from public funds, the government instead of completing it within the stipulated time, abandoned it at a time when the structure of the college building is mostly done, although work on the hospital building has not started yet.
According to sources, project directors of the dental institute were appointed by the government on heavy salaries coupled with other facilities. Professor Saeed, the last project director was drawing Rs 0.2 million per month with and also enjoying facilities including 11 cars and unlimited petrol.
“It is never in the interest of project directors, drawing heavy salaries to complete the project, which will mean an end to lucrative pay packages and other facilities,” they added.
According to sources, the health department has terminated other PMUs owing to fiscal constraints, but “other projects are within the premises of medical institutions unlike the dental institute which is nearly 15 kilometers from Thokar Niaz Baig and will now be left unattended after the PMU has been terminated because the PMU was executing it and not the building department, while NESPAK offered consultancy”.
After termination of the project, De Montmorency College of Dentistry Principal Dr Sohail Abbas has been made drawing and dispersing officer of the dental institute. Talking to Pakistan Today, Abbas said that the medical community wants completion of such projects, but the decision to terminate the project has been taken due to financial constraints.
He said that a project to beautify the area around Minar-e-Pakistan by shifting Lady Willingdon Hospital and dental college from the existing places had been in the pipeline since the 80s, but the project was finally approved by the previous regime. Punjab Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad was not available for comment.
