Stalled multi-speciality hospital project hits healthcare in Parvathipuram district

Vizianagaram: Three years after the foundation stone was laid, construction of a multi-speciality hospital in the tribal area of Parvathipuram in Manyam district did not cross 60% completion. Pressure on the govt hospital in the district headquarters increased day by day as the district hospital at Parvathipuram alone witnessed more than 1000 outpatients (OP) per day. The number of inpatients was around 280, while the hospital had only 150 beds.

The foundation stone for the multi-speciality hospital was laid virtually six years ago during the YSRCP government with Rs 49 crore. But funds were not released for almost three years. Before the elections, construction work started and was halted due to non-payment of bills to the contractor. The present government has paid around Rs 9 crore in pending bills.

Most of the cases are referred to King George Hospital (KGH) or other government hospitals in Vizag, 140 km away from Parvathipuram. Patients were forced to go to Vizag for severe bleeding injuries, heart-related diseases, drop in platelets, severe jaundice, cerebral malaria and other emergencies. People are requesting the authorities to provide them with specialist doctors immediately and complete the multi-speciality hospital building as early as possible.

The district hospital has no specialist doctors. It has only physicians, gynaecologists, and other doctors. Patients with heart, kidney, and cancer symptoms are forced to go to Vizag. The district hospital urgently needs cardiology, nephrology, gastroenterology, and oncology, as around 30 to 40 patients with these conditions come for treatment.

Parvathipuram district had a population of 9.25 lakh in the 2011 census and has now reached around 15 lakh, including an 86.59% rural population, in 2.3 lakh households across two municipalities and 930 villages. The district is dominated by tribals (STs), who make up around 34%, and scheduled castes (SCs), 13%. People in the district have access to government hospitals at Parvathipuram and Vizianagaram. For any emergency, doctors at both hospitals generally refer cases to Vizag. “Leave the construction of a multi-speciality hospital for now. First, appoint specialist doctors in the district hospital so people can get better treatment and save public lives,” a fruit shop owner, P Srinivasa Rao, commented.

Every day, more than 300 tribals out of 1000 outpatients visit the district hospital, which has 150 beds. But the number of inpatients is 300, of which more than 100 are tribals. Not only that, 160 to 180 of the 300 deliveries in the hospital are tribals. According to doctors, more than 40 cases are referred to Vizag on average per month. More than 450 patients suffering from heart, kidney, gastric, cancer, and other conditions go to Vizag for treatment every year.

The AP Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation deputy executive engineer, Prasanna Kumar, told TOI that the project should have been completed by Nov of last year as per the schedule. Brickwork and plastering works are completed, except for one slab. There is no shortage of funds. The entire building would be completed by the end of this year, he said.