Completion of Super Specialty hospital nowhere in sight

Delay in installation of MoT, slows down the work in hospital

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, July 14: After missing several deadlines, the Super Specialty Hospital of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu is still far from completion, as Modular Operation Theatre (MoT) is yet to be installed.

According to officials initially set to be completed in the year 2008, but the executing agencies have sought extension many times to complete the mega project in Jammu.

The proposed hospital, on completion will have six super specialties, including Cardiology, Cardio Thoracic Surgery, Urology, Neurology, Neuro-Surgery and Nephrology.

This is not the first time when the government has not achieved its target, but many times before the deadline has been extended to launch the super specialty hospital.

Approved in February 2004 by the then Union Government and started during the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad led coalition Government, the hospital, which will be part of the GMCH Jammu, has fails to achieve many deadlines.

The construction of the hospital was approved in February 2004 by the then Union Government and work on the project was started during the tenure of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. For the Rs 120 crore project, state has received Rs 100 crore from the centre, while Rs 20 crore were contributed by the state government.

Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education, M K Dewadi said the government is unable to operate the Super Specialist Hospital due to the unavailability of Modular Operation Theater (MoT) as Central Public Works Department (CPWD) who assigned its installation work to HLL.

Dewadi informed that HLL asked for more three months to complete the work.

“All other work including recruitment process of medical and paramedical staff is done” he said.

Dewadi maintained that as it is already delay to start functioning of the hospital so we are planning to start only these part of the hospital where we the MoT is not required so that should be no further delay.

Regarding the Super Specialist doctors which is also required to run the hospital he said if we didn’t get any full time then we appoint party time super specialist doctors.

For sending 20 doctors for specialized training at AIIMS New Delhi and PGI Chandigarh, to man the upcoming super specialty hospital Dewadi said he don’t have any knowledge whether they have been sent or not.