Dream of an eye hospital rekindled?

With a problem in her vision, Savitri Devi of Uttarkashi was inquiring about the Government Eye Hospital in Dalanwala in the city on Thursday; she was told by the locals that the hospital was closed as it was being reconstructed. Savitri Devi is one among many people who come inquiring about the Gandhi Shatabdi hospital daily from different parts of the State. The dream of a multi-speciality eye hospital in the Capital city still remains unfulfilled after more than eight years have passed since former Chief Minister BC Khanduri laid the foundation stone of the hospital in the year 2007.

The hospital located on Pritam Road in Dalanwala was under a trust (District Eye society) till June 01, 2005 when it was acquired by the State Government. The hospital under the State Health department acquired a good reputation in short span of time. Recalling those days senior ophthalmologist at Doon hospital Dr BC Ramola said that at least 3,100 cataract operations were done in a single year in the hospital, a feat which any Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) would be proud to achieve. 

The State Government then decided to dismantle the existing hospital building and planned to construct a multi-storied structure for a super specialty centre. The successive Governments in the State had pledged to complete the construction works but complete funds were never released. 

The result was cost escalation. The executing body for construction of the hospital is PWD. The department has spent `12 crore in the construction works till date. The department has now given a revised estimate of `9.87 crore to complete the remaining work. One officer of the Medical and Health department said that the decision to dismantle the eye hospital was not correct. “The State Government should have kept the hospital functional and the new construction should have gone simultaneously,” he quipped.

Meanwhile, the patients continue to suffer in absence of a super specially facility for eyes. Mohan Khatri, a social worker, said the hospital should be completed soon and made functional for benefit of the people. He suggested that since the hospital had a large space, a trauma unit with facility of ventilators should also be added there.  The caretaker of the under construction building Suresh Gupta told this correspondent that he felt depressed when people came here from far off places inquiring about the hospital. 

The hopes of the full fledged super specialty facility were rekindled with the State Government including the commitment to complete the pending works within a year, in Governor’s speech in the ongoing Budget Session of the State Assembly.