Health department to turn unused 100-bed hospital into ophthalmology dept

The 100-bed field hospital was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic under the emergency Covid-19 response package to provide treatment

The Public Health Department will utilise the 100-bed field hospital at the Aundh District Hospital (ADH) campus for the Ophthalmology department that was lying unused for over six months, the officials said on Monday.

Dr Nagnath Yempalay, the district civil surgeon, said the facility is ready and can be utilised after pending work of a separate MSEB DP for the hospital gets completed. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The 100-bed field hospital was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic under the emergency Covid-19 response package to provide treatment during emergencies or in case of the spread of infectious diseases. The ECR funds released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen health infrastructure in rural areas were used for the hospital.

HT had earlier published a news report on October 8, 2023, titled ‘100-bed field hospital at Aundh lies unused’ informing about the huge facility lay unutilised for several months due to pending work of the water tank and electricity. Now after six months, in a huge relief to patients, the facility will be put to good use.

Dr Nagnath Yempalay, the district civil surgeon, said the facility is ready and can be utilised after pending work of a separate MSEB DP for the hospital gets completed.

“The MSEB work will be completed in the next couple of days. There was a spike in Covid-19 cases reported last month, however, with the situation under control, the facility will be started within two weeks,” he said.

Dr Yempalay further added, “The entire hospital will be used for the ophthalmology department and both indoor and outdoor facilities will be started at ADH. The ophthalmology department at the district hospital has had a huge response. We will have separate indoor facilities for female and male patients, with dedicated pre- and post-operative indoor facilities,” he added.

Another senior official, on anonymity, said, similar to the 100-bed field hospital, two facilities at Junnar and Narayangaon which lay unused will be utilised as extended indoor facilities for patients. Both these hospitals have twenty beds each.”