The Baltistan Women Hospital - Plan & Realization (May 2001)

With a donation of US$ 10.000 arranged by Ali Bilgrami from our new Board Member Dr. Ali Allawi we were able to buy 8 1/2 kanals (about 4000 sqm or 1 acre) of land on the road from Skardu to the Airport, which is sufficient for a 20-bedded, 3-storied Hospital, residential facilities and an adjacent Mosque with parking space in a green surrounding.

The Hospital Construction Committee (Dr. Nasima Frey-Rahman, Ali Bilgrami, Tajammul Hussain, Dr. Hans Frey) approved the design developed by Dr. Hans Frey, particularly its energy-efficient, environment-, as well as patient-friendly and local traditions encompassing design and contributed technical proposals for incorporation. See the design on our new www.baltistanwomenhospital.org website. Negotiations are under-way with a Gilgit-based architect of the Aga Khan Planning & Building Service’s Building & Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP), which developed economical structural building techniques/designs appropriate for the cold climate & earthquake-prone area, to undertake the architectural and structural drawings at a reasonable cost, as well as provide some supervision/advice during construction. Another architect from the Aga Khan Cultural Support Programme, which is engaged in the reconstruction/conservation of historical buildings (forts and mosques) in the Northern Areas inclusive Baltistan, promised technical advice and services of carpenters trained by them in traditional wood-carving on wooden frames/pillars etc. to be incorporated in the building, and the Consultant-architect of the Northern Area Health Project, Mr. Munir, who was the architect of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital at Lahore, will assist us.

On Sunday, 27th May 2001 (3 Rabi-ul-Awal) we and people from the area gathered at the site for the Baltistan Women Hospital. Agha Ali, a local Alim and neighbour, lead the prayers for the ground-braking ceremony. We invite you all to the foundation-stone laying ceremony we hope to perform at the end of June, and be able to shift into the basement in October this year before all construction stops in Baltistan due to winter, pick up the work again in April 2002 and be able to complete the Hospital in June next year, so God will and funding is available.