Construction of Barishal Cancer, Kidney and Heart Disease Hospital Nearing Completion
Nasim Ul Alam
17-Storey Building Built at a Cost of Tk 239 Crore, But No One Knows When It Will Open
Construction of the Cancer, Heart Disease and Kidney Hospital at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital is nearly 90 percent complete, almost two years after the scheduled deadline. However, no one can say when the hospital will be opened. There has still been little progress in procuring and installing electro-medical equipment and approving manpower for the 460-bed hospital.
There is also uncertainty over completing the civil works of the 17-storey building, as a proposal from the Public Works Department (PWD) concerning increased costs for installing four lifts and two pairs of escalators has not yet been approved. Meanwhile, the construction cost of the hospital building has increased from Tk 100 crore to Tk 128 crore and finally to Tk 239 crore. Although the Planning Commission directed last year that the entire project be completed by June 2025 after increasing the project cost and extending the deadline, the work was not completed within the extended timeframe.
Later, December 2026 was set as the final deadline for completing the civil works. However, uncertainty over the installation of lifts and escalators remains. As a result, informed quarters are doubtful whether construction of the 17-storey hospital building will actually be completed by the latest deadline in December. According to responsible officials of the PWD, all civil works other than the lifts and escalators are expected to be completed by December.
As part of a government initiative to construct similar hospitals in all eight divisional headquarters of the country to provide advanced treatment for cancer, heart disease and kidney diseases, the PWD signed a Tk 128 crore contract with a joint venture named Messrs Banga Builders and Messrs Khan Builders-JV on July 19, 2021, for constructing a 17-storey building with two basement floors on the Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital campus. According to the contract, the work was scheduled to be completed by July 18, 2023.
However, by May 15, 2024, the contractor had completed only 35 percent of the work. Meanwhile, responsible sources said that approximately Tk 170 crore had been paid to the construction company for the hospital building by the end of the recently concluded fiscal year.
A visit to the site found that almost the entire structure of the under-construction 17-storey Barishal Cancer, Heart Disease and Kidney Hospital, including the roof of the 17th floor, has already been completed. Some work in the basement, along with the installation of sanitary fixtures and some electrical equipment, remains unfinished. Several sources said that although the boundary wall has been constructed, the gate has not yet been built. As a result, sanitary and electrical equipment cannot be installed due to security concerns.
Although the proposal for increasing the project cost and extending the deadline received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on April 29 last year, the related administrative approval was also significantly delayed. Consequently, the construction of the Barishal Cancer, Kidney and Heart Disease Hospital building was not completed within the revised timeframe and increased project cost, according to several sources.
It may be mentioned that after the duration of the Tk 100 crore project was extended by two years, its cost was increased to Tk 128 crore. It has now risen to Tk 239.48 crore. However, no responsible official of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) can say when the only kidney, heart disease and cancer hospital in the southern region will become operational. This is because no electro-medical equipment has yet been procured for the hospital.
Furthermore, a proposal to construct a link corridor connecting the new hospital building, located approximately 250 metres away from the main hospital building, has not yet been approved. There has also been no solution regarding the supply of food to patients at the new 460-bed hospital. No provision has been made for this in the project. The hospital management authorities believe it would be impossible for the main hospital to supply food to such a large number of patients.
When contacted, the Executive Engineer of the Barishal Public Works Department said that the work could be completed within the extended schedule. However, he also said there was some uncertainty over the installation of the lifts and escalators because the proposal has not yet received approval.
