Work on new Karnal Civil Hospital hangs fire as land cost not finalised

Parveen Arora

Karnal, July 22

The construction of the new building of District Civil Hospital in Karnal is hanging fire as the Health Department is awaiting to know the cost of the earmarked land from the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). Once the cost was finalised, the Health Department will deposit the required amount, enabling the land transfer and subsequent start of the construction work.

The project has faced numerous delays since its announcement in 2017. Initially, it was part of the Karnal Smart City project, which had completed all formalities and approved a budget of Rs 100 crore. However, the project was later transferred to the Health Department, which is now awaiting to know the cost of the land from the HSVP. The total cost of the new hospital is estimated to be Rs 300 crore, said an official.

The government has identified a 9.5-acre in Sector 32, near Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk, as the prime location for the new hospital building. The site was selected after an initial 13.5-acre was rejected due to the presence of overhead power lines. The HSVP had already finalised the architectural drawings through an agency.

The proposed hospital will feature over 200 beds and modern amenities, including a cardiac unit, CATH lab, MRI scan, CT scan, dialysis centre, de-addiction centre, ICU, PICU, administrative block, kitchen, laundry services, residential complex, Civil Surgeon’s office, Deputy Civil Surgeons’ offices, and a training centre. Additionally, it will house a dedicated maternal and child health wing, a fully equipped emergency department and other healthcare facilities.

The urgency for the new hospital has arisen due to lack of space in the existing District Civil Hospital, which is currently operating in an old building that was transferred to Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC). The old building, originally known as King Edward Hospital, was inaugurated on April 17, 1911, has no room for expansion. As a result, the Civil Surgeon’s office and Deputy Civil Surgeons’ offices are located away from the hospital, causing inconvenience to the public.

In 2010, the Civil Hospital was converted into KCGMC by the previous Congress government, with the land transfer completed in December 2012. However, former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the reinstatement of the Civil Hospital in April 2017, and the Civil Hospital started functioning after the repatriation of staff from the KCGMC on December 1, 2017.

Dr Ravinder Sandhu, Deputy Civil Surgeon said, “We have been waiting for the rates of the earmarked land. After the rates are finalised, the department will deposit it and thereafter, the work will start,” he said. “We have written to the HSVP in this regard,” he said.

Jaspal Gill, Estate Officer (EO) of the HSVP, said they have sent a request to the higher authorities in this regard. “I have also sent a reminder. We are hopeful it will be finalised soon,” he added.

Not enough space in existing building

n The urgency for the new hospital has arisen due to lack of pace in the existing District Civil Hospital, which is currently operating in an old building that was transferred to Kalpana Chawla -Government Medical College

n The old building, originally known as King Edward Hospital, was inaugurated on April 17, 1911, has no room for expansion

n As a result, the Civil Surgeon’s office and Deputy Civil Surgeons’ offices are located away from the hospital, causing inconvenience to the public

Have written to HSVP

We have been waiting for the rates of the earmarked land. After the rates are finalised, the department will deposit it and thereafter, the work will start. We have written to the HSVP in this regard. — Dr Ravinder Sandhu, Deputy Civil Surgeon

Hopeful that it will be finalised

We have sent a request to the higher authorities in this regard. I have also sent a reminder. We are hopeful that it will be finalised soon. — Jaspal Gill, Estate Officer (EO) of the HSVP