B&J hospital’s additional block inauguration delayed till March end

Srinagar, Feb 28: The inauguration of the additional block of Bone and Joints Hospital, Barzulla, Srinagar, initially scheduled for the end of January, has been postponed to the end of March due to the pending installation of medical equipment, an official said on Friday.
Officials said that today Deputy Commissioner Srinagar chaired a meeting of the engineering departments and it was directed that the state-of-the-art building will be completed by March end as some equipment are to be installed at the facility.
Notably, National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) is the executing agency for the project, while the PW(R&B) Department Kashmir is its implementing agency.
Executive Engineer, R&B Division Rajbagh, Mushtaq Ahmad, said that all services of the new block, including electrical, mechanical, and civil components, are fully ready.
“The additional equipment will be placed soon. Now the additional block will be completed by March end to make way for its inauguration,” he said. During the meeting, NPCC assured that the block would be ready for inauguration by the given timeline.
Officials said earlier Government Medical College had demanded the installation of some additional equipment and furniture, the approval of which came on February 25.
On Dec 25, Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah paid a surprise visit to the hospital and directed the executing agencies to ensure its swift operationalization by January 2025 to enhance patient care and to dedicate the facility to public service. However, even after January’s completion deadline, the building is still undergoing final touches.
The new block, was constructed under the Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) with World Bank funding. Officials said that the previously identified deficiencies that were raised by the World Bank team have been addressed.
The new block is critical for addressing the space crunch caused by a fire incident in 2022 that reduced the hospital’s original capacity of 200 beds. The new block will add 160 beds, increasing the hospital’s total capacity from 150 to 310 beds. According to officials, the additional hospital building is designed as a G+ structure and incorporates high-end machinery in its construction, which began in 2019.
The existing hospital building was also damaged in the 2014 floods, which later prompted the need for the construction of an additional block, which was approved in 2015.
Meanwhile, officials stated that while the manpower requirements for the new block have been projected, recruitment—a crucial aspect for the facility’s operation—is yet to be finalized.
Earlier, the B&J hospital suggested manpower requirements, however, they were asked to seek the minimum possible manpower as per National Medical Commission guidelines.
“Now, we have proposed some 250 gazetted and non-gazetted posts and we are still waiting for it as the government is yet to take any final decision on it,” he said.
The official emphasized the need to recruit manpower before the inauguration of the building to ensure the new facility functions effectively, given the heavy patient load it handles as the valley’s largest orthopaedic healthcare centre.
To facilitate a smooth handover process, the Bone and Joint Hospital authorities have formed a dedicated team to take charge of the additional block.