Ludhiana Civil Hospital expansion work misses deadline

The work was supposed to be completed by December 31 but the deadline was revised to March 31; now it is expected to finish by May 15, according to officials

The completion of construction work at the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) of the Ludhiana Civil Hospital has missed its second deadline. The expansion project includes eight new wards to take the bed capacity from 100 to 200 beds, an outpatient department (OPD) for kids, two new operation theatres (OTs), 14 private rooms, and a new lift.

The expansion project for the Mother and Child Hospital of the Civil Hospital includes eight new wards to take the bed capacity from 100 to 200 beds, an outpatient department for kids, two new operation theatres, 14 private rooms and a new lift.

The work was supposed to be completed by December 31 but the deadline was revised to March 31. Now, it is expected to finish by May 15.

Gurpinder Sandhu, sub-divisional officer, Punjab Health System Corporation, said that officials had to ensure that the construction work didn’t interrupt the daily operation of the facility. “Most of the work has been completed. The few remaining ones will be completed soon. We will start handing over the newly constructed portion to the authorities in phases soon,” he said.

The delay is also holding back the operationalisation of the fire safety system that was installed in the hospital between 2018 and 2024. While the system has been installed in the old building, the pipes have to be extended to the newly built portion.

“We can get the handover from the Punjab Health System Corporation once the work is complete. We will then apply for a no-objection certificate to the fire department,” said senior medical office Dr Akhil Sareen.

The hospital has already received the permission from the PHSC to hire firemen under user charges.