Srinagar, Apr 28: Despite passing of more than 11 years the Maternity-cum-Child Care Hospital (M&CCH) building in Kangan area of Ganderbal district is yet to be completed.
Its land was identified in 2005 and its foundation stone was laid in 2012-13 but till date the building is yet to be completed. Then it was announced that J&K Housing Board would execute the work and it was supposed to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 27 cr.
Residents of Kangan and its adjoining areas expressed strong resentment against the health department and the executing agency for failing to compete the work on hospital building.
Asif Ahmad, a resident said the construction work was started long back but the hospital building is yet to be completed adding to the patient woes.
“We appeal the government to complete the construction work and throw it open for the public. Its opening will add to the maternity and child care services in the district,” he said.
He said due to the failure of the govt. in making this health facility functional, the patients are compelled to travel to other hospitals and often times to Srinagar for treatment.
“With its completion people of the area would receive best maternity and child care facilities and they would not have to move to other towns and city hospitals,” he added.
The resident said the completion of this hospital will not only lessen the burden of LD and SKIMS Soura Hospital but it will also give relief to patients from Kangan and adjacent areas.
“When we approach the authorities they cite paucity of funds as the reason. The concerned dept. had promised that the pending work of this hospital will be started soon,” he said.
DDC Kangan, Tasmeena Adil said, “We have raised this issue many times but it is yet to be completed. We were promised that the hospital would be thrown open but that has not happened till date.”
She said if the hospital is thrown open it will decongest the load on other hospitals and people will get a sign of relief, especially in case of maternity care.
“When patients are referred or in case of emergency referral the patient can die on way to Srinagar. This hospital should be thrown open,” she said.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ganderbal, Dr Afroza Shah said there was some issue with the executing agency saying that 70 percent of the work has been completed.
“It is waiting for completion. There is no issue from the side of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir. The executing agency could not spend the money in the previous year due to technical issue which have not been resolved,” she said.
The CMO said currently the trauma and MCH operate in a single hospital. The new building if completed will add to the facilities and patients will have relief. “We have also written to the administrative department in this regard,” she said.
Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, Dr Shabir Hussain Keen said the building could not be completed on time due to paucity of funds.
“The work on the Kangan hospital has been started in October 2013. Building has been completed except aluminium work in the basement of the building and porch. Estimates/DPR stands submitted to Chief Engineer R&B Kashmir for technical sanction. As soon as the technical sanction is accorded, tenders shall be floated,” he said.
The building could not be completed on time due to paucity of funds. “The operation theatre and medical gas bank is to be taken up by Mechanical Engineering Department Kashmir,” he said.
