Noida: Director flags civic mess at Child PGI, blames govt ‘for years of neglect’

A senior official noted that the blame game between the government and administrator is on since 2017 but the hospital’s condition remains critical

Highlighting the deteriorating condition of Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute in Noida’s Sector 30, more commonly known as Child PGI, hospital director Arun Kumar Singh said his repeated escalation of issues since assuming charge in April 2023 were not heeded or acted on by the Uttar Pradesh government or the Noida authority.

The five-storyed building accommodates several paediatric departments including haematology, gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, urology, cardiology, orthopaedics, among others. (HT Photos (file))

Singh said this in a 47-page reply to the government earlier this month, after it sought an explanation from him about the dilapidated infrastructure. and why no corrective measures were taken to rectify issues facing the institute.

The hospital, which is a 240 bed super specialty child care facility, faces numerous problems, including dilapidated ceiling, which is collapsing in parts, defunct equipment in operation theatres, and water seepage, among other issues, putting patients at risk of infection and injury.

The director’s reply also quoted a trail of correspondence between the government and the hospital, dating back to 2017, in which past and present Child PGI directors had repeatedly raised issues of structural defects and poor upkeep, but little was done to rectify the issues raised.

Singh stressed that he, too, repeatedly raised the issues with the government and Noida authority since taking charge, but nothing was done about them.

“During my tenure spanning the last year and four months, I have exhaustively explored all avenues to address and resolve the various challenges facing the hospital. I have consistently brought these issues to the attention of both the Uttar Pradesh government and the Noida authority, seeking their support and intervention to find solutions,” said Singh in his reply to principal secretary Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma.

The director said he wrote to Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister and health minister Brajesh Pathak, on September 20, 2023, stating that “the hospital building is deteriorating day-by-day due to seepage, leakage, and waterlogging”.

The document also mentioned that former hospital director Ajay Singh had, in May 2022, apprised the government authorities that a portion of the ceiling had collapsed on patients.

“The hospital’s construction was handled by Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN), a government agency responsible for repairs and maintenance. However, after the defect liability period expired, a proposal of ₹7.17 crore was submitted to government for rectifying the existing defects in the building. But this proposal was never approved,” Singh said in his response to the government.

The letter also mentioned a meeting held on July 25 under the chairmanship of chief executive officer, Noida authority, Lokesh M, where UPRNN was directed to provide a revised estimate within 10 working days. However, the estimate of ₹13 crore was sent to the government on August 21, much beyond the deadline.

A senior official, who wished not to be named, noted that the blame game between the government and administrator has been going on since 2017. The hospital’s condition remains critical, with water still leaking from the false ceiling in the blood donation area, triggering hygiene concerns.

To be sure, Child PGI is the only facility dedicated to children in Delhi-NCR and one of four such facilities in the country. The five-storyed building accommodates several paediatric departments including haematology, gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, urology, cardiology, orthopaedics, among others.