ISLAMABAD: Work on Polyclinic`s extension is likely to begin soon after Minister of State Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Barrister Usman Ibrahim directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit the demand notice for the requisite amount, and demarcate the land.

Mr Ibrahim was chairing the steering committee meeting on the extensions to Polyclinic on Tuesday.

Polyclinic is the second largest hospital in Islamabad, and facilitates over 6,000 patients daily in its outpatient department. The hospital`s 545 beds are not sufficient to meet its requirements.

The new building will have five storeys. After the three-year project is completed, the hospital will have the capacity for over 1,000 be ds almost equal to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

At the meeting, Mr Ibrahim said the project had beenin coldstorageforyears.

He directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to conduct a feasibility study for the project, and Rs12 million has already been disburse d to the department.

He also asked the Planning Commission to dis-burse 100 per cent of the Rs55.3 million amount set aside for the project.

A technical evaluation committee has also been constituted to look into the project`s technical matters.

Polyclinic Executive Director Dr Zahid Hussain said earlier that the hospital`s problems were growing due to an increasing number of patients.

`We have approval of the cabinet for the extension of Polyclinic, due to which the space issue will be addressed,` he said.

In 2008, it was decided that Polyclinic will receive an additional building, to be constructed on one third (2.5 acres) of the Argentina Park.

The project became controversial when the health ministry realised that the park was named after Argentina, and so the Argentine embassy was contacted for permission to construct the hospital.

After receiving permission, however, the CDA refused to give approval for the construction of a hospital on park land and a summary was moved to the Prime Minister`s Office asking for permissionfor construction.

The CDA said that a hospital could not be built on park land, and that only permission from the prime minister would allow for a relaxation of the rules.

However, a summary was sent to the cabinet and was approved.