Faridabad: Four years on, govt medical college, hospital yet to become fully functional

Faridabad, January 12

The state-government run Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College in Chhainsa village was established in 2019. However, the 400-bed hospital is yet to become fully functional as it lacks an indoor treatment facility and emergency medical services.

The institution was set up after the Haryana Government took over an abandoned private institution, Goldfields Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, that had shut down in 2015 due to financial troubles.

Though the OPD services at the facility were started last year, the emergency services and admittance of patients for indoor treatment are yet to begin. The OPD here witnesses an extremely low attendance at around 20 patients daily due to the unavailability of facilities such as equipment for diagnostic tests, treatment, admittance and medicines.

The National Medical Commission (MCI) had withdrawn its permission to admit the second batch of the MBBS students in July last year on the ground that the hospital had failed to fulfil its conditions.

However, the permission was granted after the government gave an undertaking that the deficiency would be removed within six months, it is reported.

A total of 100 MBBS seats are available at the college. Located 15 km away from the district headquarters, the institution is the second government medical college and hospital in the district after the ESIC Medical College and Hospital.

“While four years have passed since its inauguration, the hospital has failed to provide services and facilities that are mandatory for any medical institution,” said Satish Chopra, a social activist. As the period of the undertaking given by the state government is over, he said the delay could result in the unavailability of the medical facilities to thousands of residents of the region. He further highlighted that the situation has put the career of the students enrolled at the college at stake.

“The institution that was expected to come up as a referral hospital has proven to be a white elephant as the staff and infrastructure have remained unused despite huge funds having been spent in four years,” said AK Gaur, a resident.

Dr BM Vashist, Director of the institution, said the emergency and indoor facilities are likely to be provided after approvals and certifications by provided by some departments and authorities. He said more staff, including paramedics, would be recruited soon, adding that the work to set up infrastructure for indoor treatment and central laboratory was on.