6 years on: Quimoh hospital building incomplete

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 9/19/2018 11:56:04 PM

KULGAM, Sep 19: In 2012 when the foundation stone of the new building block for Quimoh hospital in this southern Kulgam district was laid and work initiated on the same, residents of the area were jubilant hoping for improvement in the healthcare facilities in the area. However, nearly six years down the line, the hospital building remains far from completion.
Sanctioned in 2012, the building was undertaken by the Roads and bindings department (R&B). The estimated cost of the project was Rs 5 crore. Since the space crunch in the existing old hospital building is cited as the major reason for the messy state of health in the hospital, the sanction of the new building block was aimed to improve the same.
The work on the new building block in last six years has not moved beyond erection of concrete columns leaving the locals fuming. "When the new building for the hospital was sanctioned in 2012 we had hoped its completion in a couple of years but ironically six years have passed the building is nowhere near completion," a group of locals said.
The paucity of funds, both locals and hospital sources said, was responsible for causing delay in completion of the building.
"Since last six years these concrete columns are what we get to see here. The contractor after completing the first phase of the work too was not paid the bill forcing him to halt the work," said a hospital source.
Even the local MLAs claims of getting the funds released for the hospital last year proved untrue. "Last year local MLA once told us that he has got the funds for the hospital released and that the work on the same will be started soon but that never happened," a local, Abdul Rehman said.
The healthcare in the existing hospital, he said, is no better than that of a sub-health center. "The infrastructure in the existing hospital is such that during the clashes and encounter that frequently erupt in the area people with even minor injuries are referred to other hospitals. Many youth in the past, after being injured during clashes, died while being referred," Rehman said.
Executive Engineer, R & B division Kulgam said that since the executing agency for the new building block initially was truck terminal division and could not be completed within the stipulated time.
"Now the project has been allotted to us and the funds for the same have been sanctioned for the same under a central sponsored scheme. At least Rs five crore stand already released for the project and we are going to float fresh tenders for the same very soon. Hopefully the work the hospital will be started in a couple of weeks," the officer said.

 

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