Lack of funds grounds district hospital project in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Even though guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had announced the Nagpur district hospital back in October 2015, it is yet to move beyond the drawing board due to lack of funds. Sources in health department said that all formalities required for the construction work has been completed and they were awaiting sanction of Rs38.5 crore from the state government.

Earlier, Bawankule had announced that the bhoomipujan of the hospital would be performed during the winter session of state legislature in 2015. When this did not happen he promised that the hospital would get funds in the 2016-17 budget. He then claimed that the money would be sanctioned during the winter session of state legislature from the supplementary grants for health department, in 2016. Now, the minister says that the project would get financial clearance in the 2017-18 budget to be presented in March 2017. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also echoed Bawankule’ announcement while talking to TOI.

The district hospital is slated to come up on 8.90 acre land belonging to Nagpur Mental Hospital situated in Mouza Jaripatka. This land is adjoining the mental hospital.

The city already has two government medical colleges and a superspeciality hospital but there had been a long pending demand for a district hospital from leaders of all parties. The two colleges treat people from all over Central India and hence are overburdened. Nagpur does not have a district hospital yet. The proposal was cleared by the public health minister Dipak Sawant.

The district hospital will have 100 beds. The office of civil surgeon will be shifted from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) to the district hospital. The government medicine stock will also be kept in the hospital.

Public Works Department (PWD) had prepared the estimate for the construction work and electrical fitting way back in 2015. It was around Rs28 crore. The public health department had then prepared an estimate for medical equipment needed here. This was around Rs10.5 crore.

The hospital will have a resident medical officer (RMO) and 16 to 17 other doctors. The number of paramedical staff will be as per norms for a 100 bed hospital, which is close to 200.