Fully funded Paktika clinics remain incomplete

SHARANA (Pajhwok): Very little construction work has been done on two health clinics in eastern Paktika province despite the release of 20 million afghanis for the scheme, Pajhwok Afghan News has learnt reliably.

Work on the projects, construction of clinics in Naki and Warmai districts, was started in early 2017 and they should have been completed at the end of the same year but the structures remain incomplete while 100 percent fund has been released for that. Pajhwok Afghan News obtained credible documents supporting its claim.

In one of such letters, the Public Health Department of Paktika writes to the Governor’s Office that in compliance with the directives of the Public Health Ministry, the construction of BHC clinics in Naki and Warmai districts should be completed in 2017 because the fund allocated for the project is conditional and could not be transferred to the next year.

At the end of this letter, the then Paktika governor has signed it and ordered that procurement affairs of the project should be completed.

In another letter available with Pajhwok Afghan News, the then Public Health Department Director Dr. Wali Gul had written to the Department of Urban Development and House Construction to carry out the procurement affairs of the clinics construction project.

Another letter from Paktika Public Health Department to the Public Health Ministry and Provincial Coordination Department said that the procurement affairs of the Warmai and Naki clinics had been completed and an 11-page procurement document had been dispatched, but no response was provided.

On the other hand, the Paktika Health Department says fund allocated for the project had been released but only a small portion of the construction work had been completed.

15 percent construction work carried out: Rasouli

Paktika Public Health Department Director Dr. AsadullahRasouli said 20 million afghanis had been released for the two clinic projects, but only 15 percent work had been completed.

He said: “Work on Warmai clinic started in 2017 and should have been completed in the same year, but only 15 percent work has been completed and then officials approved them as completed projects.”

“Work on the Naki clinics was also started in 2017 and should have been completed the same year. Some work was carried out but it was of a very low quality. Some parts are demolished but then officials approved it as completed project,” he said.

He said the Naki district clinic is currently functioning in a rented house and the clinic staff faced problems due to none-availability of a proper place.

Rasouli said work on some clinics in Mata Khan, Sarobi, Dila Khoshamand, Janikhel and some other districts also remained incomplete.

Sadiq, a resident of Warmi district, who cooperated with Pajhwok Afghan News in sending pictures of the incomplete clinic, said work on this project remained completed.

“Elyas Wahdat was governor at that time when work on the clinic started. We were happy that we will have a clinic but the work was not completed,” he said.

Ahmad Mukhtar, not a real name, a resident of Warmi district, said: “I worked for 20 days in the clinic project, but after years, I have not been paid the money for my work.”

Then officials should be held accountable: officials

Governor Spokesperson Ghazi Danish said they did not have enough information about the two clinics. He said: “The then Governor WahdatElyas and Public Health Department Director Dr.WaliGul should be asked about it and they should be held accountable.”

Former Paktika Health Department director:

Dr.WalliGul, who served as director for the Public Health Department at the time, admitted work on the two clinics remained incomplete.

“I did not approve the projects as completed, if other officials had approved them, I don’t have information.”

Then Governor ElyasWahdat when contacted about the projects, said he had no time to provide information on the projects.

It is worth mentioning that besides two Paktika clinics, there are several other projects in the country which are incomplete but funds for them have been released, which landed in private pockets.

Nh/ma

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