Srinagar: Even after elapsing of over seven years, the vital Maternity and Child Care (MCH) in Bemina area of Srinagar is awaiting completion.
The under-construction hospital will be a big relief for the patients of the valley, however, authorities seem to be careless in completing this vital project which has already missed half a dozen deadlines.
Officials within the health department said that as per the performance of the Roads and Building department, the project is likely to miss more deadlines.
Officials said that in 2013, the hospital was proposed to be a 200 bedded maternity care hospital but in 2015, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed added a childcare block to it and laid the foundation of 500 bedded maternity and child care hospital on 17 October 2015.
They said that due to shortage of funds the project missed many deadlines and concerning agency weren’t able to complete it on time.
Officials at Lal Ded hospital and GB Pant also said that if MCH will be completed at an earliest it will ease the burden on these two hospitals.
“We have to manage patients every nook and corner of Kashmir but if Bemina hospital will be completed patients from parts of Kashmir will prefer there,” they said.
They further added that Lal Ded Hospital and GB hospital are around 3 km’s from each other and if the Bemina hospital will be completed, this will remain convenient for both mother and child care.
The administration recently has accorded sanction to the creation of 343 posts for the 500 MCH hospital Bemina.
Moreover, the government enhanced the budget allocation for the health and medical education sector by Rs 500 crore to Rs 1268 crore in 2020-21 budget.
Chief Engineer Roads and Buildings(R&B) Kashmir Showkat Jeelani said that due to shortage of funds, the project missed deadlines as it was kept in languishing projects.
“The work is going on at a full pace and hopefully by June end this year, it will be handed over to health department,” he said—(KNO)
