PMC to build new 200-bed building for Annasaheb Magar Hospital

The hospital caters to around 400 outpatients every day. It is essential that medical services continue uninterrupted during the redevelopment process, says official

To ensure uninterrupted healthcare services during redevelopment, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to construct a new, five-storeyed, 200-bed building for Annasaheb Magar Hospital in Hadapsar before demolishing the existing structure.

PMC officials said that the proposed, 200-bed hospital has been designed to meet the healthcare needs of the rapidly growing population in eastern Pune. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Additional municipal commissioner Pavneet Kaur reviewed the hospital’s functioning during a visit on Monday and inspected the proposed architectural plan for the new building. She directed officials to complete the new facility first and continue operating the existing hospital until the new building is ready.

“The hospital caters to around 400 outpatients every day and is one of the busiest civic healthcare facilities in eastern Pune. It is essential that medical services continue uninterrupted during the redevelopment process,” Kaur said.

PMC officials said that the proposed, 200-bed hospital has been designed to meet the healthcare needs of the rapidly growing population in eastern Pune. The facility will include modern operation theatres, upgraded diagnostic services, enhanced emergency care, and improved inpatient infrastructure.

Furthermore, Rekha Labade, PMC’s zonal medical officer, said that the existing building constructed in 1956 has outlived its design life. “The hospital was built within six years of the formation of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Over the years, the structure has weakened considerably. Since the hospital is at a lower level than the adjoining road, rainwater enters the premises during the monsoon and even reaches sensitive areas such as the operation theatre. The building has deteriorated significantly,” she said.

Moreover, the project has gained urgency following the expansion of the PMC limits via the merger of 34 villages. Residents of Hadapsar, Phursungi, Uruli Devachi and the surrounding areas now depend on the hospital for secondary and emergency healthcare. Although the civic body has established health and wellness centres and Balasaheb Thackeray aapla davakhana clinics to strengthen primary healthcare, Annasaheb Magar Hospital continues to serve as the main referral hospital for specialist consultations, emergency treatment and inpatient care.

Officials said that the new building will be constructed inside the existing hospital campus. Once it becomes operational, all services will be shifted to the new facility before the old structure is demolished and redeveloped.