Govt fast-tracks plan for new 200-bedded maternity hospital in Anantnag
Srinagar, Nov 20: Secretary Health Syed Abid Rashid Shah Wednesday directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare and submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) within five days for the construction of a 200-bedded new Maternal and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in the premises of Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital at Janglatmandi in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
“The Chief Engineer of Public Works (R&B) Department South Kashmir has been tasked with submitting the DPR for the proposed facility within the next 4 to 5 days,” an official said.
The directive comes amid growing safety concerns surrounding the existing MCCH, currently operating from a dilapidated and overcrowded building in the congested Sherbagh locality.
Greater Kashmir has been carrying a series of stories on the issue.
In an urgent meeting convened by the Secretary, it was emphasised that the establishment of new infrastructure for the MCCH was imperative to address these concerns and enhance maternal and child healthcare services in Anantnag district.
“This initiative will significantly improve maternal and child health services in the area, decongest the existing hospital, and meet the long-pending demand for tertiary-level comprehensive maternal and child care services,” the Secretary said.
Officials, including the District Development Commissioner (DDC) Anantnag, Principal GMC Anantnag, Director Coordinator for New Medical Colleges, Director Health Services Kashmir, and the Superintending Engineer of PWD South Kashmir, attended the meeting.
Senior officers from the Health and Medical Education Department, including the Director of Finance HME, Joint Director Planning, and Deputy Director Planning, also participated.
The current facility, located in the congested Sherbagh area, remains the primary choice for pregnant women and newborns, despite severe space and safety concerns.
The building was declared unsafe both by the Roads and Building (R&B) Department and Fire and Emergency Services way back in 2014.
MCCH handles an overwhelming number of patients, with over 40,000 in the Out-Patient Department (OPD) and around 7000 in-patient admissions every month.
However, the hospital’s maternity ward, which was originally designed for only 40 beds, frequently operates beyond capacity.
At times, two to three patients are forced to share a single bed, increasing the risk of infections and complications.
The shortage of space and poor hygiene in operating rooms and wards has led to high rates of cross-infection.
The recent tragic fire incident at Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi hospital which claimed the lives of nine newborns also brought to the fore several shortcomings in fire safety in the facility.
In the past two months, there have been two incidents of electrical short circuits in the NICU, though fortunately, these did not escalate.
In 2015, after a fire partially damaged the OPD, the facility was temporarily moved to the then District Hospital premises in Janglat Mandi.
However, it was relocated to the unsafe building within a day due to political intervention.
Another fire incident was reported at the ticket counter of the facility in March 2022, wherein 12 people including 2 kids were injured.
The incident happened due to gas leakage.
In 2015, the government had announced plans to shift the facility to Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital at K P Road, earlier managed by a local trust.
Despite spending Rs 13 crore on constructing the top two floors, the plan was abandoned.
IIT Jammu’s safety assessment indicated the building did not meet post-2005 earthquake safety standards.
The institute recommended retrofitting and reinforcement of the vital beams of the older floors – ground and first - constructed by the trust two decades ago.
It estimated the cost of approximately Rs 8 crore on it.
However, the proposal was shelved.
