No funds allocated for hospital work
WORK to build a new hospital in Güzelyurt has been halted because no funds have been allocated for it in the annual budget, it has emerged.
The concrete skeleton of the state hospital has been completed but no bids have been invited to complete construction of the building.
A similar situation applies to a new fire station in the town, which has been completed but not opened because landscaping and finishing work still remains to be done.
Speaking to Kıbrıs, the Turkish-language sister newspaper of Cyprus Today, representatives of various civic organisations highlighted the area’s booming population and urged authorities to complete the buildings without further delay.
Leader of the Artisans’ and Craftsmen’s Union Ulus Ese said: “We waited 44 years for a hospital to be constructed and we are still waiting.”
Güzelyurt NGO Platform spokesman Şinasi Özdeş added: “We intend to find out why there is no allocation in this year’s budget for the completion of the hospital building.”
Mr Özdeş said if the problem was not resolved they would contact Turkish Minister Responsible for Cyprus affairs Recep Akdağ, adding: “We cannot wait any longer for this hospital.
“We urge the authorities to begin the bidding process for completion of the hospital. With the new health minister being from Güzelyurt, we believed she will be more sympathetic on the issue.”
Mr Özdeş said the NGO Platform had contacted the new health minister, Filiz Besim, who had confirmed that there was no allocation in this year’s budget for the hospital project.
“Officials at the Town Planning Department told us that if funds were available, the project could be completed in six months,” said Mr Özdeş.
“Who prepared the budget and why was no allocation made for the hospital? Who is to blame for all this?”
Dr Besim said the budget had been prepared by the former government and explained: “When we took office [we found] there was no budget allocation for Güzelyurt Hospital and there no allocation for it from Turkey either.”
She said construction of the new hospital was among priority projects for completion. Meetings had been held with the Town Planning Office and an estimate for the cost of completing the facility prepared.
Further discussions then took place with the Turkish Embassy and the Finance Ministry, both of which promised to give whatever support was needed.
“We plan to begin a bid process for the second and final stage of the hospital build as soon as possible,” she added.