Mother & childcare centre at PGIMER hits roadblock

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 6

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Even before the construction of the Advanced Mother and Childcare Centre at the PGI was to start, the project has hit a roadblock.

Recently, tenders were invited for the construction of the project at a cost of nearly Rs 485 crore. However, the project was found to be violating the provisions of the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031.

Sources said the height of the project was not in accordance with the Master Plan, which had created “obstacle” in the construction of the project.

The sources said the height of the project had exceeded the limit prescribed in the Master Plan. However, the authorities are now contemplating to decrease the height of the floors as reducing the number of floors would adversely affect the healthcare facilities to be provided at the centre.

Deputy Director (Administration) Kumar Gaurav Dhawan said the hospital administration was in touch with officials of the construction firm to resolve the issue. “We are hopeful of finding a solution to the problem at the earliest,” he said.

The construction of the project was awarded to HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd, a subsidiary of the Government of India.

With the construction of the 430-bed centre, it will improve obstetric and neonatal tertiary care. It will have a neonatal intensive care unit with advanced services, foetal medicine unit, robotic surgery, human milk bank, advanced infertility services and reproductive endocrinology.

It will also provide much-needed relief to expectant mothers as they not only have to struggle to find a bed in the institute, but also at other health institutions in the city.

Dr Jagat Ram, Director of the PGIMER, said some issue had cropped up in the project, but it would be resolved soon.