The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML) polit bureau member and party’s Mithilanchal in-charge Dhirendra Jha, in a press statement on Thursday, warned to launch an intensive agitation if the much-delayed construction work of the super speciality hospital being built under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakasha Yojana (PMSSY) at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) was not finished in a month.
“Score of lives could have been saved had the super speciality hospital become operational in January as per the commitment made by the Union health minister earlier,” he said.
Appealing to the civil society to extend support to bring back the DMCH on the right track, Jha pilloried the indifferent attitude of both the Centre and state government on this score.
A day earlier, CPI-ML activists staged a demonstration with placards on DMCH campus under “DMCH Bachao Jan Swasthaya Abhiyan” on Wednesday. The party workers took out a march from DMCH to Karpoori Square.
Party’s district unit secretary Baidyanath Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Devendra Kumar, Prince Raj, among others, made scathing attacks over the state government’s failure to improve health facilities and the plight of the campus due to acute water logging during monsoon at DMCH, the largest government hospital in north Bihar.
Meanwhile, the expected date of completion (EDC) for super speciality hospital (SSH) has been revised again on the PMSSY dashboard. As of now, the revised EDC for SSH is July 31, 2021. As per the information available on the PMSSY dashboard, the progress of civil construction works stands at 78.87%.
In December last year, minister of state for health and family welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, committed to start the OPD facility of the hospital by mid-January.
The project worth ₹150 crore, is being executed with funds allocated by both central and state governments, having a respective share of ₹120 crore and ₹30 crore.
Initially, the construction for the 210-bed specialised treatment facilities on the DMCH campus started in December 2016 and carried an 18-month deadline.
DMCH incumbent principal Dr KN Mishra, who assumed charge in February this year, said, “At the given pace, it would take another six months to start the SSH.”
“Construction works on the first two floors of the building have been completed while work on the third floor is nearing completion,” he said.
Of the total budget, ₹85 crore was to be spent on the construction of the building while ₹15 crore was meant for painting, colouring and finishing touch. Likewise, the fund allocation of ₹50 crore was earmarked for the installation of equipment.
