| 6 years on, doctor quarters, mortuary await completion | | | G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 23: The Health Minister has failed to release sufficient funds for construction of quarters for doctors and , paramedical staff which was sanctioned in March 2010.
The failure to release funds for the quarters for the past six years has delayed the project and it has adversely affected the performance of the Samba hospital.
Sources informed Early Times that in March 2010, the department had started construction of a triple storey building of Samba District Hospital with ICU, CCU, OTs, Mortuary, six doctors and 12 paramedical quarters, despite completion of deadline, the construction work of quarters was still not completed.
He further said, "On one hand government had claimed to provide all the basic facilities at district level Health Centre, so that the burden of Government Medical College & Hospital must be reduced but on the other hand, the health department has failed to construct the quarters of doctors and paramedical staff and other basic infrastructure in the district hospital premises so far".
They further said, "Due to insufficient accommodation, majority of doctors and paramedical staff has to leave the hospital in night for their houses and if some serious patient arrives during night hours, the hospital authorities has to refer the patient to premier hospital".
"Owing to lack of proper infrastructure and shortage of doctors, the DHS has become a referral station and Health Department Jammu has been failed to take cognizance of infrastructure lack at DHS", he said.
Pertinently, the health department in 2003-04 had upgraded the Community Health Centre Samba into a 30 bedded hospital at the cost of Rs. 2.82 Crore and in March 2010, the same department had upgraded the same CHC, Samba into District Hospital Samba at the cost of Rs 11.80 Crores and targeted date of completion was set as 2013 but same is yet to be completed, defeating the purpose of upgradation of hospitals.
When contacted Chief Medical Officer, Samba, Rajive Sharma said that the construction work of quarters of doctors and paramedical staff is underway. "Hopefully, the construction works will be completed by closing of this financial years", he said.
He further said that as soon as the funds would be released by the department, the construction of mortuary would be started. Repeated attempts to contact, the Jammu Kashmir Housing Board went in vain. |
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