PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, May 6: In the absence of adequate manpower, the 500-bed super-speciality project at Sadar Hospital has failed to become operational for which three times letter has been sent to the state’s health department.
Deputy Superintendent of Sadar Hospital, Dr SS Mandal said that near about 200 medical staff are needed to make the hospital operational for which a letter has been sent to the health department three times.
“Nearly 500 medical staffs are there against the 500 beds in the Sadar Hospital. Also, 60 doctors are currently looking after the patients in the hospital. If the newly constructed building of Sadar Hospital has to be made operational then 200 more medical staff must be needed to make it operational,” added Dr Mandal.
Echoing the same district Civil Surgeon Dr Vinod Kumar said that letter has been sent to the health department demanding the manpower needed to make the hospital operational.
Apart from the manpower crunch, some minor works in the operation theatre and fire fighting system are also left which is also creating hindrance in making the hospital operational.
Jharkhand State Building Construction Corporation Limited Executive Engineer Sunil Kumar said, “98% of the work is completed with some minor works left in the operation theatre and fire fighting system. The major issue in handling the hospital is the manpower needed to make the hospital operational. Regarding the manpower, we have written a letter to the Civil Surgeon. As soon as we get the required manpower to make the hospital operational, they will be trained by the respective vendors about the functioning of the equipment and the hospital will be handed to the hospital management.”
The construction agency, Vijeta Projects and Infrastructure Limited engineer, engaged in the construction and installation of services at the hospital said that due to the delay in the payment by Jharkhand State Building Construction Corporation Limited (JSBCCL) several works in the hospital are still pending.
When contacted an engineer associated with the project said: “The major bottleneck is the non-payment to the smaller vendors that are working on the ground. Vijeta Construction has been defaulting on their payments and this is the reason the work is getting delayed.”
Even after the Jharkhand High Court took strong objection to the unfinished work at the Ranchi district hospital, it has missed deadlines regularly.
In 2016, public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Jharkhand high court over the non-operation of the hospital. The health department had informed the court that it would complete the first phase of Sadar super speciality hospital by March 2017. However, in the next hearing of PIL in April 2017, the department had told Jharkhand high court that it would start functioning of the hospital with 200 beds in July 2017.
After which the deadline had failed in December 2018, June 2019, December 2019, April 2020, May 2021, June 2021, September 2021, October 2021, January 2022 and February 2022.
