Work halted due to contractor dispute; patients suffer
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Feb 19: The new building constructed for the District Hospital (DH) Handwara in north Kashmir is awaiting operational status, falling behind schedule in completion and severely impacting patient care.
Excelsior has learnt that the work on the new building, a sprawling 200-bed structure, is nearly 80 percent complete; however, there have been some issues with the concerned contractor, causing work to halt.
“After the additional funding was released, the work was retendered. Following this, the concerned contractor took the matter to court; the case was heard on February 14, but there has been no progress so far,” officials stated.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Secretary of the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department also took note of the matter during his recent visit and reprimanded the responsible officers for the delay.
Upon inquiry, the concerned officials assured the Secretary that the pending work would be completed within 3 months, and the hospital building would become operational.
As of now, the hospital is operating with 75 beds, and often, three patients can be seen occupying a single bed due to space constraints.
Officials emphasize that the hospital’s functionality is significantly compromised, referring to it as a “mess.”
“The pending work includes the ramp, lift, and some aspects of the false ceiling. The rest of the work is almost complete. If it had been finished on time, it would have facilitated operations and streamlined patient care,” officials mentioned.
On the other hand, locals are dismayed by the delay in completing the building, noting that the GMC Handwara is merely in name as patients are not receiving proper care.
They highlight that if patients arrive at the hospital in the evening, they are simply asked to go elsewhere.
“There is a lack of space, and as a result, patients reaching here are promptly referred elsewhere. The hospital is not functioning as a GMC Associated hospital should. During late hours, patients are left at the mercy of junior doctors. There is nothing resembling adequate patient care,” residents expressed.
It’s worth noting that construction on the building began nearly 5 years ago, and even during that period, it faced numerous issues.
In February last year, officials from the J&K Housing Board informed the Excelsior that some completed portions would be handed over for use in a few months; however, there has been no progress towards making the building operational since then.
Even though the work is nearing completion now, operationalizing the building does not appear to be imminent, with officials stating they encounter space constraints on a daily basis, affecting patient care.
“The issues we face are duly communicated to the higher-ups because we would want betterment of the patients,” officials said.
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