After dragging its foot for years on the proposed super-specialty centre, the administration of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) seems determined on getting the facility inaugurated on January 27 despite the facility being far from getting fully-equipped.
“We will go ahead with the inauguration programme at any cost. It will not be postponed for anyone,” said RIMS Medical Superintendent Doctor Kumari Basundhara.
However, according to sources only the Cardiology department of the 240 bed hospital is complete in all respect while the other three departments-Oncology, Nephrology-cum-Urology and Pediatric Surgery- Traffic sense limited to obtaining licence!are partially ready. “We are experiencing difficulty due to shortage of manpower at RIMS,” said the source.
Interestingly, construction of the four proposed super specialty centres had started in 2004 however due to infrastructure hurdles its inauguration was postponed umpteen numbers of time. The hospital was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated in March 2012 however it was subsequently pushed to September 2013.
“This time it won’t be delayed. Hopefully Union Health Minister will inaugurate it,” added Dr Basundhara. Sources in RIMS confided that RIMS administration could invite Jairam Ramesh to inaugurate the facility if the Union Health Minister doesn’t give his consent for the inaugural ceremony.