A major hurdle has come to the fore in starting Block-A of the new building of Hamidia Hospital. The authorities are claiming to start this hospital in August, but the reality is that the supply of hospital furniture has been stopped.
For this, the agency with whom the contract was signed, has not been paid by the Directorate of Medical Education for the supplies made in a consignment. Due to this the agency has stopped further supplies.
The agency was contracted to supply patient beds, doctor-nurse seating furniture and patient side tables and other equipment to be placed next to the bed. In such a situation, there is no possibility of starting this hospital in August also.
Let us inform that on Monday, Divisional Commissioner Gulshan Bamra visited the hospital and instructed the officials of the construction agency to complete the civil work and supply the furniture soon.
Officials said that there are total 1498 beds in Hospital Block-A and Block-B. Block-B has started, but there are no new beds here yet. Of these, only about 25 percent of the beds have been supplied from the agency. The rest of the furniture is expected to arrive only after payment is made.
Sultania Hospital is to be shifted to Block B, but so far the OT has not been ready. The Medical Education Minister had set the deadline for shifting in July. The big reason is that there are no OT lights.
About one percent of civil work is still pending in Block-A. Glass has to be installed at some places. Apart from this, stairs have been built near Lal Bhawan.
There is still finishing work to be done here. Cube Construction, the company that built the hospital. Department owes about Rs 2.5 crore. Due to this the agency has slowed down the pace of work. However, officials of the construction company said that by July 31, after completing the work of the building, it will be transferred to the Medical Education Department.