The construction of the 320-bed super speciality block of Government Rajaji Hospital, being built with Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) funding, will get delayed by at least three months than the expected deadline of December 2017.
Inspecting the work on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary J. Radhakrishnan expressed disappointment over the slow progress of work and urged the contractors to complete it by March 2018. Earlier, during his visit in August, he had given similar instructions to complete the work by December.
Later talking to the media, he said that around 70% of work has been completed with 90% of work over in some of the floors.
He said that the super-speciality block was being built with funding of around ₹89 crore by the Central government for the building and another ₹46 crore by the State government for the equipment.
Referring to the slow progress of work, he said that though the contractor was asked to leave earlier for the same issue, he subsequently got relief from the court based on an assurance that the work would be completed soon.
Hospital sources, however, said it was doubtful that the work will get over by March since a considerable portion of the work, which includes a foot-over-bridge across Panagal Road to connect the super-speciality ward with the trauma care centre, were yet to be completed.
Dr. Radhakrishnan also inspected the 850-bedded Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) building at the GRH and urged the hospital authorities to expedite the work of shifting the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) also to the newly-constructed building.
