Work on institute for TB, chest & heart disease set to begin soon in Ambala city

Nitish Sharma

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Ambala, April 2

Almost a year after receiving the administrative approval to set up the State Institute of Tuberculosis and Cardiopulmonary Diseases in Ambala city, the project is finally expected to take off soon. The project is coming at a cost of Rs 54.38 crore and a tender was floated by the PWD (B&R) for the construction work recently.

In April last year, administrative approval was received for a five-storey hospital. The 100-bed hospital will have state-of-the-art ICUs where TB and chest disease patients can be admitted separately. It would also be used as a nodal centre for TB and heart disease training.

A separate laboratory building will be constructed on the hospital premises and the reports of the samples will be ready within 24 hours. There will be a virological research and diagnostic laboratory, which will be accredited by the Delhi ICMR. Apart from this, there will be biochemistry, bacteriology, fungal, molecular and path labs.

An official said: “The project has got delayed. A tender of Rs 27.11 crore for the construction of 100-bed building floated by PWD (B&R) recently and bids will open on April 13. With the latest facilities, the hospital can play a vital role in the government’s aim of eliminating TB from the state.”

As the new building is to be constructed on a 2-acre plot after demolishing the existing TB hospital building, the Health Department has already started the process to shift the TB hospital to some other building. Philadelphia Mission Hospital has given the proposal to use its Covid ward to shift the hospital. Currently, there are 10 beds for TB patients and four beds for Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) TB patients at the TB hospital.

Deputy civil surgeon and nodal officer for the TB elimination programme, Dr Hitesh Verma, said: “The process has begun for the accreditation of the laboratories. Currently, a molecular lab is being run on a temporary basis in Sector 10 here and after the building is ready, the lab will be shifted to the new hospital. As the current building is to be demolished, the hospital will be shifted soon to ensure the uninterrupted treatment of TB patients. An MoU has also been signed with a medical college in Mullana where 12 beds have been acquired for the treatment of the MDR TB patients and 40 beds for TB patients for free of cost treatment.”

Will be used as nodal centre

• The hospital will have ICUs where TB and chest disease patients can be admitted separately. It will also be used as a nodal centre for TB and heart disease training
• A separate laboratory building will be constructed on the hospital premises and the reports of the samples will be ready within 24 hours