Madhya Pradesh: Hyped six months ago, hospital near Bina now shut down

BHOPAL: While the state braces for the Omicron threat, the much-hyped hospital started near Bina refinery six months ago has been, for all practical purposes, shut down. The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to discontinue the contract with the agency that was running the hospital since June this year.
Sagar chief medical and health officer Suresh Bouddh says he has no clue about the next course of government action.This comes at a time the government has announced all medical systems and equipment prepped and ready in case a third wave hits.
A letter issued by health commissioner Akash Tripathi says: "In the present circumstances, there seems to be no requirement of the hospital. Discontinue the contract and inform the undersigned after considering November 30 as its (contract's) last day."
District collector Deepak Arya told TOI, "I will follow the government's direction. So far, there is no word about renewing any contract." The collector said he had no idea about the agency that was running it as it began before he was posted as Sagar collector.
The hospital was inaugurated on June 12 by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the presence of Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Prior to setting up of the hospital, the state government said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be consulted for the 1,000-bed hospital that can be expanded to 5,000 beds.
Prior to setting up of the hospital, the state government said that DRDO would be consulted for the 1,000-bed hospital that can be expanded to 5,000 beds. But by the time it was established, the number of beds had been reduced to 200, with the potential of being increased to 1,000 beds. In these six months, however, there was no allopathic doctor in the hospital, which made do with Ayurvedic practitioners and homoeopaths, say sources.
A day before its inauguration, a big portion of the facility was ripped apart by strong winds and thundershowers. "The government spent an estimated Rs22 crore to set up this hospital, which was scheduled to have been completed for the second-wave patients. The construction of the makeshift hospital was however delayed," health department sources said. TNN