E-Paper
100-bed field hospital at Aundh lies unused
The hospital was set up from the emergency Covid-19 response package to provide treatment during emergencies or in case of the spread of infectious diseases. However, due to pending work on the water tank and electricity, the huge facility lay unutilized
It is unfortunate that a 100-bed hospital in Aundh has been vacant for the past three months in a place where healthcare is of the utmost importance and where the infrastructure necessary for it is severely inadequate.
The hospital was set up from the emergency Covid-19 response package to provide treatment during emergencies or in case of the spread of infectious diseases. However, due to pending work on the water tank and electricity, the huge facility lay unutilised.
The hospital work was started using the ECR funds released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen health infrastructure in rural areas.
Maharashtra health commissioner, Dheeraj Kumar visited the hospital three months ago and instructed the facility to be utilised for ophthalmology and other patients. However, the hospital’s being kept idle has become a concern for the public health department, and they have several letters requesting budget allocation to set up an independent MSEB distribution panel and conduct water tank work of the hospital, but to no avail
Dr Nagnath Yempalay, said, we had requested to set up an extra overhead water tank and an MSED DP for the hospital after which the hospital will be used for ophthalmology and other patients.
“Currently, the hospital has no electricity supply and is on generator support. The proposal to set up DP and water tank has been sent to the infrastructure and development wing of the National Health Mission. We need to utilize the facility as keeping it unutilized is not a wise idea,” he said.
“The responsibility to provide healthcare to the public is on the public health department and due to this the field hospital was started at Aundh Hospital campus. It makes no sense to put a large amount of money and effort into setting up the field hospital when it has to be kept unutilized for minor work or an additional water tank and distribution panel. The facility can be utilized for the poor patients. I don’t know why it takes over three months for the government to sanction the work that costs a nominal twenty to thirty lakhs,” said, health activist, Sharad Shetty.
Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services, assured to look into the issue and make sure the hospital is made functional at the earliest.
