Hospital visitors overcharged for parking

Private company at BBH booked for overcharging visitors; HFH scraps contract A private parking company operating at Benazir Bhutto Hospital has allegedly been overcharging visitors, collecting parking fees higher than the officially notified rates, according to a complaint filed with Waris Khan police. The alleged overcharging was detected during a surprise visit by the Punjab Chief Minister's Monitoring Unit to the hospital. The monitoring team reportedly found that the private parking staff were charging visitors more than the amount printed on the parking slips, causing inconvenience to patients and their attendants. Following the inspection, a case was registered against officials of Lahore Trade Parking Company on the complaint of hospital security supervisor Ashfaq Ahmed. According to the FIR, the official parking fee at the hospital is Rs30 for cars, jeeps and loader rickshaws, Rs10 for motorcycles and Rs50 for trucks and Mazda vehicles. However, the parking staff were allegedly charging higher amounts from visitors. Waris Khan police said they had registered a case against the company's responsible officials and launched an investigation into the matter. HFH scraps parking contract On the other hand the administration of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) cancelled its parking contract worth Rs22.5 million following complaints of alleged overcharging from citizens. The action was taken after a Punjab Chief Minister's Monitoring Team visited the hospital and took serious notice of complaints regarding excessive parking fees. Complaints against the parking contractor had also reportedly reached the Secretary to the Chief Minister. According to sources, the parking contract was valid until January 2027 but was terminated before its expiry following repeated complaints that visitors were allegedly being charged more than the prescribed fee. Sources said several complaints regarding alleged overcharging had been received from citizens, prompting the matter to be taken up with senior authorities and subsequent action against the contractor. HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Butt said that after cancellation of the contract, the hospital administration had taken over the parking arrangements and deployed its own staff in place of the contractor. According to the hospital administration, the parking contract will be re-tendered on December 28, 2026. The administration said the new contract would ensure that parking fees and other related matters were regulated strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules and regulations.