MCCH Kangan Handed Over to Health Dept, Awaits Opening

Umer Raina
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09 May 2026

Locals Demand Early Operationalisation

Srinagar, May 9: The long-awaited Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in Kangan has been handed over to the Health Department and is awaiting inauguration, raising hopes for better maternal and healthcare services in the Kangan sub-division.

The hospital, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 27.66 crore, is expected to significantly strengthen maternal and child healthcare services in the mountainous region, where residents have long faced difficulties in accessing specialised treatment during emergencies.

Local residents and social activists have urged the government to inaugurate the hospital at the earliest and ensure the availability of adequate medical staff and dedicated healthcare services before it becomes fully functional.

Social activist Manzoor Ahmad Lone said the hospital’s operationalisation would provide major relief to patients who currently have to travel to Srinagar for deliveries and pregnancy-related complications.

“At present, patients are forced to travel either to Lal Ded Hospital or the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Maternity Hospital for deliveries and related complications. During emergencies, the long travel often poses serious risks to both mother and child,” he said.

He said that after years of waiting, the hospital building has finally been completed and reports indicate that it has now been officially handed over to the Health Department, while the final inauguration is awaited.

Lone also stressed the need for adequate staffing in the hospital before or immediately after its inauguration. He expressed concern over the shortage of doctors, paramedics and technicians in several nearby healthcare institutions, particularly in hospitals across the Kangan sub-division.

Residents said the Maternity and Child Care Hospital was conceptualised during 2008-09 with the aim of reducing maternal and neonatal risks in the far-flung and mountainous areas of Kangan, where transportation during medical emergencies often becomes difficult, especially during harsh weather conditions.

Sources said that preparations are underway to start minor gynecology OPD services, while the process of shifting medical equipment to the new hospital has already begun.

Hospital sources further stated that necessary arrangements for making the hospital functional are in progress and that installation of essential equipment is being carried out.