Fund crunch hits construction of Solan multi-specialty hospital

Ambika Sharma

Solan, December 6

The absence of a dedicated budget has created fund scarcity for the under-construction multi-specialty hospital building coming up at Kather bypass in Solan.

The Congress government has not set aside any funds for it in this year’s Budget. The funds sanctioned for the first phase have been exhausted with several crores having been incurred on laying the foundation alone given the site conditions.

The construction of the first phase comprising the administrative block, 200-bed hospital and a mother-and-child healthcare unit had begun in 2022.

The previous BJP government had sanctioned Rs 29 crore for it. Its total cost was pegged at Rs 90.33 crore. A sum of Rs 10 crore was made available to the hospital several years ago to set up a mother-and-child healthcare (MCH) facility. However, the centre did not come up due to the paucity of space in the old hospital. Now, these funds are being utilised for the new building.

Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had laid the foundation of this building in September 2021. Space constraints in the existing building had not only put on hold Central projects but the patients also were facing inconvenience due to the narrow corridors and limited space in the outdoor patient departments.

DR Shandil, local MLA and Health and Family Welfare Minister, said, “There will be no fund constrain for the project and Rs 5 crore will be released immediately to the Public Works Department executing the project. In the next budget, its complete funding will be arranged and the project will be completed within the next one and a half years.”

While the minister stressed on providing air ambulance for this hospital, it remains to be seen if it will be feasible to provide landing facilities on the terrace of an upcoming block. The chief architect has been directed to work out its provision though the presence of high-tension wires crossing the area will have to be re-routed.

Rajiv Sharma, chief architect, said that they were working on the design of the trauma and critical care unit and would seek the opinion of a structural expert to see if the terrace could be utilised for landing of an air ambulance. This would, however, require clearance from obstructions like high-tension power lines.

He informed that a request to provide additional land for parking for the patients’ vehicles has also been made.

Money not set aside in Budget

• The Congress government has not set aside any funds for it in this year’s Budget
• The funds sanctioned for the first phase have been exhausted with several crores having been incurred on laying the foundation alone given the site conditions