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FCIL clears path for reopening of hospital in Dhanbad after 20 years
Established in 1952, the hospital was constructed on a 120,000 square feet area and was inaugurated by the then Union health minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.
The Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) administration has cleared the way for the reopening of a 205-bed hospital and a nurse’s hostel that has remained closed since 2003, much to the joy of more than 200,000 residents of the fertiliser township Sindri and its adjoining areas in the Dhanbad district, people close to the matter said.
A tender notice regarding this matter was issued on Friday by the FCIL administration, announcing the leasing of the hospital for 30 years, with the possibility of a further 20-year extension.
The tender notice, issued by SS Shekhawat, an officer on special duty of FCIL, stated that the selected party for the lease would be responsible for restoring the hospital and providing free outpatient (OPD) facilities, inpatient (IPD) services and other testing charges for existing employees, their dependents, and ex-employees with spouses.
Established in 1952, the hospital was constructed on a 120,000 square feet area and was inaugurated by the then Union health minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.
During the heydays of Sindri from the 1950s to the 1990s, it was one of the largest healthcare providers in the region, serving people from several adjoining places, including Bokaro, Ramgarh, Giridih, and various areas of Dhanbad who sought healthcare there.
The hospital boasted a main operation and a minor operation theatre, in addition to other facilities like a pathological laboratory and radiological services.
It also housed different departmental OPDs, including orthopaedics, surgery, ENT, dental, ophthalmology, paediatrics, dermatology, and medicine.
However, the hospital was closed in March 2003, three months after the closure of the FCI factory in Sindri on December 31, 2002, leaving ex-employees of FCI and other residents of Sindri and adjoining areas dependent on the Sahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH), situated about 30 kilometres away from Sindri.
Despite previous efforts to revive the hospital, including initiatives in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by the district administration, its revival was still pending.
Sewa Singh, former Public Relations Officer of Dhanbad, who is also the President of the All India FCI VSS Employees Association, commented, “The revival of the hospital was assured by SS Shekhawat, the Officer on Special Duty of FCIL during his address to Sindri residents on August 15, 2023, after the flag hoisting ceremony, and we are thankful that the promise he made has been fulfilled.”
The hospital facility was a basic necessity for the residents of Sindri, as during emergencies, they faced difficulty in travelling to SNMMCH in Dhanbad, which is situated over 30 kilometres away.
