Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, October 4
Conceptualised during the second wave of Covid-19, Advance Paediatrics Centre is yet to take shape at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16. The equipment purchased for the centre is gathering dust.
In October last year, the UT Health Department had proposed to set up a dedicated 32-bed paediatrics unit at the GMSH-16, as part of its preparations for a possible next wave of Covid. It was supposed to have 12 beds with ventilators.
The deadline for the completion of this project under the Emergency Covid Response and Health System Preparedness initiative was March 2022. The unit was to be built at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore, as approved by the Centre.
The UT Health Secretary, Yashpal Garg, during a recent meeting to review the works pending at the GMSH-16, took note of the slow progress of the Advanced Paediatrics Centre project.
The Chief Engineer informed the meeting that a tender for carrying out air-conditioning work would be floated in the next 15 days and thereafter, it may take about four more months to complete the project.
The Director, Health Services, Suman Singh, said the equipment for the proposed centre had been received but could not be installed as the building was not ready. Owing to the non-installation of the equipment, payments to the suppliers were also pending.
It has now been decided that the Engineering Department may consider handing over a part of the building to the GMSH-16, so that it can be put to use. While the equipment would be installed to make the unit functional, the air-conditioning work may go simultaneously.
Unable to report project progress
The Director, Health Services, Suman Singh, said, “This project is partly funded by Emergency Covid Response Package-II. We are unable to report our progress and the Government of India may stop the funding any time.”
